


Waiting for the Right Time

by Hartley_Blaze



Category: Wynonna Earp (TV)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-22
Updated: 2021-01-22
Packaged: 2021-03-03 19:48:18
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 104,330
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24851074
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hartley_Blaze/pseuds/Hartley_Blaze
Summary: Star-crossed lovers Nicole and Waverly were in love once, but interfering from those around them and Waverly's fear of being outcast destroyed the relationship they had and led to Nicole leaving town. Now Nicole's returned. Against the odds, can the pair find their way back to each other?
Relationships: Waverly Earp/Nicole Haught
Comments: 288
Kudos: 1010





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to each and every one of you who left kudos or a comment on my previous postings. They were all appreciated.
> 
> I wasn't going to post this yet because I don't have a finished outline but chapter 1 has been sitting on my computer taunting me for awhile, so I'm posting it to see what you guys think. Enjoy. Or don't. Your choice.

**Chapter One**

**W** averly Hardy, née Earp, stared up at the ceiling lost in her imagination and completely detached from the rampant thrusting of her husband on top of her. She wasn’t looking at the damp patch up in the corner of the bedroom, nor the chipped paint that desperately needed freshening up. She was imagining the life she could have had, a life away from Purgatory, away from everyone she knew and who knew her, a life that she could have lived exactly how she saw fit.

Champ finished and collapsed on top of her, heavy, sweaty, and panting hotly against her neck, great puffs of air that made her want to squirm away from him. “You good, babe?” He lifted his head to look at her, grinning stupidly.

“Mm-hmm.” She dug deep and pasted on a smile that would appease him. The sex had never been great between them, and in truth, seemed to be getting worse. For her at least. Champ always made sure he was satisfied.

Early in their relationship she had always brought up things like foreplay and cuddling, but as time had passed, she’d given up hinting. Champ wasn’t interested and tended to roll his eyes at her.

“So, what do you think?” he asked as he rolled over onto his side of the bed and scratched lazily at his chest.

“About what?” she asked distractedly.

“What we spoke about all week.” He glanced at her and saw the blank look on her face. “About us having another baby.”

Waverly exhaled heavily and shook her head. They’d had this conversation when he had first got home from the Arizona rodeo he’d been participating in, and she had made it very clear on where she stood with the idea. “I already told you, Champ, we can’t afford it. We’re barely getting by as it is.”

“Things will be better this season. I’ve got a good feeling.”

“You said that last year, and the year before that. You’ve done two events this year and are yet to place.”

“My luck will change, Waverly. I won….”

“Back in high school!” she interrupted, frustrated with his knack of reliving past glory. “You won an event in high school and very little since!”

They had been high school sweethearts. An attractive couple who many of their peers envied. Waverly had been head cheerleader, top of all her classes, valedictorian of the senior class, and voted nicest person in Purgatory. People didn’t mention her cursed family or hold them against her. Champ had been told he was lucky to have a girl like Waverly.

James Hardy was handsome and muscular, and loved her in his own way. She had known him her whole life. He had been participating in the junior rodeo scene since he was old enough to enter and it was how he had come by his nickname. After placing first in a bull riding event, people around town who were impressed by such things started calling him Champ and it had stuck.

He had impressed Waverly with all his talk of them leaving Purgatory and seeing the world, of buying a bar in Mexico or maybe some land and building their very own home from scratch wherever her heart desired.

She had always been told she was going places. She was smart enough to get out of Purgatory and she had believed she was capable of going places, places far away from the small town where people were small-minded and had nothing better to do than gossip about anyone and everyone. Waverly had been dreaming big all her life and none of her plans included remaining in her home town.

“Harsh,” Champ pouted. “You don’t understand how tough these events are, how much skill it takes. You think all the travelling is easy? The staying in crappy motels because I can’t afford anything better. The bumps and bruises I get from trying to stay on the damn bull. The responsibility of trying to win for the sake of my family?”

She felt a pang of guilt and knew that was what he wanted.

“How many times have I phoned home and had you nagging at me? ‘Champ, the baby needs new clothes.’ ‘Champ, we have bills to pay.’ ‘Champ, when are you coming home?’ I’m doing this for us, babe. When I win big, we’ll be better off.”

If you ever win big, she thought morosely. She’d had to get a job at Shorty’s, a bar in town, just to make ends meet. She thought again of the life she could have had if she hadn’t fallen pregnant, then felt guilty for having negative thoughts involving her baby girl. Aurora was the apple of their eyes. Many things could be said about Champ as a man, but it couldn’t be denied that he was an amazing father who doted on his little girl.

It had been the winter of senior year when she had slept with Champ in a spare bedroom at the Gardner mansion. Heartbroken about her first love leaving her and leaving town, Waverly had fallen into a relationship with Champ to try and take her mind off things.

The night of Beth Gardner’s party, with the warmth of alcohol in her belly and enough sorrow to put Hank Williams to shame, Champ had said all the right things and she had decided she’d had enough of Stephanie’s taunting her about her love life, or lack of, and spreading rumours that she was gay. Waverly had worked long and hard to fit in, had sacrificed her own happiness to be the person everyone expected her to be. She didn’t need that cow trying to rain on her parade.

Afterwards, while Champ lay snoring like a hog next to her, Waverly had stared at him for the longest time as she tried to organise her thoughts and feelings. It had been all right. Nothing to write home about and there certainly weren’t any fireworks, but it was done, and she had found out what all the fuss was about. Sort of.

After that night, she couldn’t get rid of him. Their relationship had continued even though she knew in her heart of hearts that Champ wasn’t the one for her. Everyone around town expected them to be together, everyone expected them to marry and settle down one day. Breaking up with Champ would only have raised eyebrows and that wasn’t something Waverly wanted to do. She was the good Earp. The normal Earp. The Earp who had a handsome boyfriend who was going to win more rodeo events and take her off to see the world.

So, she had persevered, ignoring the whispers of Champ’s infidelity and the fact that his one success made him obnoxiously arrogant. She concentrated on getting out of Purgatory. Right up until the moment she had found out she was pregnant.

Once she had realised she was pregnant everything had changed in the blink of an eye. Suddenly there had been no more talk of her leaving town, no more talk of going abroad, having a career, living a full adventurous life. Suddenly everyone expected her to marry Champ and settle down to be a good wife and mother, albeit a young one.

“What if you don’t win again, Champ?” she asked softly, not wanting to be mean to him but having to be the realistic one. “What if your whole rodeo career has you near the bottom of the rankings rather than at the top?”

“I won just over $500 this last event.”

“And most of that you blew on drinking with the boys!”

He huffed. “I gave it up once, Waverly, when you asked me to be around more for you and Aurora. I tried to join the police force and it didn’t work out, remember?” He was getting defensive and that meant they would probably end up arguing. “I had no job, no prospects, we had no money. Which you nagged me about, as per usual.”

“You had options, Champ. My uncle...”

He blew a raspberry. “Curtis wanted a dogsbody.”

“At least he offered you something.”

“Only because he had to! We’re married, he felt like he had no choice.”

“That’s not true,” she protested. It was true and they both knew it.

After telling Champ he was going to be a father, he had reluctantly proposed and she had reluctantly accepted. It was what everyone thought was best, the right thing to do. Her uncle Curtis had been the only one to try and talk her out of it, knowing her heart wasn’t really in it, that it belonged to someone else.

Determined to be the Earp the whole town thought she was, the Earp they had declared nicest in town and presented a sash to, she had politely told Curtis he was wrong, a life with Champ was what she wanted. So, wedding plans were drawn up.

She wanted a small intimate wedding with only family and a few friends invited. Champ invited everyone they knew. On her wedding day, she had woken early, refreshed and resigned to her fate, smiling far too cheerfully at her best friend, Chrissy Nedley, whenever the girl asked her if she was sure this was what she wanted, and her aunt, who also had doubts. Champ had stumbled into the church late and hungover, his idiot friends sniggering throughout the service.

She had spent her first night as Mrs. Hardy alone in bed because her husband got roaring drunk at the reception and started a fight which turned into a brawl involving half the town. Champ had been arrested by an apologetic Sheriff Nedley who had politely informed her she could pick Champ up in the morning once he had sobered up.

“The rodeo gives me the opportunity to provide for you and Aurora.”

“If you win!” Waverly snapped. “Which you don’t! I had bills coming in left, right, and centre. I could barely keep Aurora in clothes, or the roof over our heads of a rundown apartment not big enough for the three of us! Thank God for Shorty. If he hadn’t offered me a job at the bar, who knows where we would be living right now.”

Champ pulled a face, unimpressed with her hard done by act. “There’s Earp land, babe. God knows why you insist we can’t live there. It’s perfectly good land just going to waste.”

“You know why,” she huffed, sitting up and crossing her arms as she glared at him.

“Because your father was killed there? You’re gonna have to get over that eventually.”

“Are you serious right now?” She shook her head in disbelief at his insensitivity. “My father was murdered on that land, right in front of me and my sisters. Excuse me for not wanting to bring our daughter up there.”

“You had a terrible relationship with your father. Don’t go acting like he was a saint now just because he was killed,” Champ dismissed, distracted by her naked chest. “That house is yours, that land is yours. We’re paying rent on this place when we don’t need to be.”

“It’s not mine alone. Willa lives there and if Wynonna ever comes back, she’ll live there.”

“Willa’s hardly ever there, you said so yourself.” He ran a hand through his hair, brushing it away from his eyes. “You would have extra money and could stop nagging me. And you’d have company when Willa was around.”

“You know Willa and I don’t get along.”

He waved her off dismissively. “You never used to be so negative. What happened to the woman I married?”

After their wedding they had moved into a tiny apartment they could barely afford, then Champ was gone, off on the rodeo tour, leaving Waverly alone to deal with real life and her pregnancy. Luckily, she’d had help from her aunt and uncle. They had helped her out financially as best they could, taking her out shopping for nursery furniture and baby supplies.

With Champ gone more than he was home, which suited Waverly just fine, her aunt and uncle had kept her company, they had listened and offered support when Champ infrequently phoned home to tell her he wouldn’t be back that weekend or that week or that month. He had missed most of her pregnancy and had very nearly missed the birth of his daughter.

Waverly settled into bed, tired of arguing over the same old things. “Where are you heading next?”

“California for the weekend, then to Texas where I’ll be for two weeks.” He grinned at her. “I’ve got a good feeling, babe. I got the same feeling when I won the belt in high school. So, don’t worry your pretty little head, okay?”

“Uh-huh.” She wished she had the same confidence he did.

*** * * * ***

Champ was gone again, promises of winning events and sending money home to her passing easily from his lips. Waverly knew from experience not to hold out much hope of it actually materialising. He tended to spend any money he did win on beer and motel rooms as he travelled the length and breadth of the country.

Champ’s unreliability was what had prompted Waverly to search for work. With bills mounting up and needing money for essentials, she had quickly realised she didn’t have many options, not with only high school grades under her belt and a baby to look after. Luckily, her Aunt Gus had put in a good word for her with a local bar owner and friend of the family, who was only too happy to have a pretty girl such as Waverly working the bar. What she made in wages and tips kept a roof over her head and food in their bellies.

Finished with wiping the bar and satisfied it was no longer sticky from what she could only hope was spilt beer, Waverly reluctantly turned her attention to the beer taps. She was wary of going anywhere near them because they were loose and needed fixing, which she had found out one rowdy evening when she had been caught unaware by the spray of one. With beer dripping off her, her work shirt soaked through, she hadn’t appreciated the hoots and hollering from the clientele, even if she did go home with double the amount of tip money.

Shorty had promised he would fix them, it was on his list of things he needed to do. As of yet, he hadn’t gotten around to it.

Cloth in hand, Waverly moved to the taps and got on with the job at hand, hips swaying to the beat of the song coming from the jukebox. All was going well and she was almost done, which was when the tap came loose and beer sprayed her liberally, soaking her shirt through. “Jesus!” she yelped out loud, more annoyed than surprised. “Great,” she muttered unhappily, knowing she had a long day ahead and would have to face it with the horrible sensation of being sticky from dried alcohol.

“I swear Shorty didn’t used to have wet T-shirt competitions.”

The familiar voice made Waverly’s heart skip a beat and ache all at the same time. It was a voice she hadn’t heard in years, a voice she hadn’t thought she would ever hear again. Looking to the entrance, she sucked in a breath as she lay eyes on Nicole Haught leaning oh-so-casually against the door frame, dimples on show as she smiled.

The redhead stood up straight and walked down the two steps to the bar. “Hi, Waves.”

Waverly conjured up all the anger she could muster from long ago hurt involving Nicole Haught. “What are you doing here?”

“I came to see you.”

Waverly grabbed a dry cloth from the bar top as Nicole set down a very familiar looking hat. She stalled for time by busying herself with trying to dab dry her shirt, all to no avail. “I didn’t think you were ever coming back to Purgatory,” she finally said, glancing up and realising for the first time that Nicole was wearing a uniform, a very familiar uniform.

“Sheriff Nedley made me an offer.”

Eyeing the Purgatory police uniform that fit the tall redhead so well, Waverly took a shaky breath and willed herself to be calm. “You left the big city for the slow ways of Purgatory?”

“Slow can be nice.”

The way Nicole said it had Waverly blushing. “I thought you wanted adventure?” Her tone was harsh, though she had no reason to be mad at Nicole. What had happened between them was her fault.

“Maybe I’ve had enough adventure and now I’m looking for easy going and laid back,” Nicole said softly, sorry for the hurt coming off the shorter woman. She took a seat on a bar stool, her hands clasped in front of her. “You look good, Waverly.”

Giving up on getting dry, Waverly rolled her eyes and dropped the cloth onto the bar. “How did you know to look for me here? Who told you I was still in town?”

“Wynonna mentioned you were working here.”

“You’ve spoken to Wynonna?”

“Not recently, what with her being off in Greece and all.”

“She’s in Greece?” Waverly asked in surprise.

Brown eyes blinked. “You didn’t know that?”

Anger swelled again. How was it that she didn’t know her own sister’s whereabouts and Nicole did? “Why would she tell me anything? I’m only her sister.” The truth was they weren’t as close as they had once been.

“What happened to make her leave?”

“She didn’t tell you that?”

“You know Wynonna, she never was one for giving out too much information.” Nicole fidgeted, not used to having Waverly’s anger directed at her.

“After you left she got angrier and angrier, blaming me, blaming Gus for some reason.” Hazel eyes lifted to meet apologetic brown. “You were her best friend, Nicole. Her whole life she had you to turn to. Then one day you were gone.”

Nicole snorted, not buying that for a second. “By the time I left for college, she was hardly around herself. Don’t pin her leaving on me.”

“It seems everyone leaves eventually,” Waverly snapped, her inner hurt little girl making an appearance. “Everyone is so good at leaving. Except me. The one person everyone thought was going to leave is still here!” She felt sick to her stomach as she caught a glimpse of something she hadn’t expected to see. A simple gold band adorned Nicole’s ring finger. A simple gold band that could only be a wedding ring.

Noticing where Waverly was looking, Nicole’s own gaze fell to her wedding band and slowly she slid her hands off the bar and set them in her lap. “Can I get two coffees to go?”

“We’re not open yet.”

Nicole looked around the empty bar. “Do an old friend a favour?” She smiled, knowing Waverly loved her smile.

Hazel eyes lifted and locked onto brown. “You’re married?” She didn’t mean to sound so hurt but she couldn’t help it. She felt like she was on the verge of bursting into tears. All the times she had imagined bumping into Nicole Haught again, this scenario hadn’t occurred to her.

“I am,” Nicole confirmed softly. “As are you. Right? Wynonna told me you married Champ.”

“When did she…?” Waverly shook her head. It didn’t matter. “Yeah.”

“It’s what you always wanted. A nice normal life.”

“Don’t mock me!”

“I’m not.” Nicole put her hands up to profess her innocence. “That’s what you told me. It’s what everyone told me. You wanted to be normal, to not be hated by everyone here in town. There’s nothing wrong with that, Waverly. As long as you’re happy.” She studied the younger woman’s face, trying to read if she was happy.

Waverly didn’t want to talk about her situation. Not with Nicole. “Who did you marry, some city girl?”

“Kind of.”

Nicole smiled, dimples popping on show and making Waverly’s heart flutter, much to her annoyance. She didn’t want to feel anything when it came to Nicole, not heart fluttering things anyway. Her reaction to having Nicole here in front of here angered her, which she took out on the redhead. “Well, congratulations. You got what you always wanted as well.”

She hadn’t. “I guess so.” Nicole got to her feet. “I better get going. I just wanted to stop in and say hi.” Picking up her hat from the bar, she sighed heavily as she got the feeling she wasn’t leaving things in the best of places. Turning, she headed for the exit only to stop at the bottom of the steps that led to the doors. She turned to look at Waverly and smiled when she found hazel eyes watching her. “I’d like us to be friends, Waves. We were friends once.”

“I have enough friends.” She had never wanted to be just friends with Nicole.

Placing her hat on her head in an entirely too sexy way in Waverly’s opinion, Nicole offered up another small smile, one so familiar Waverly felt her heart flutter again. “I’ll be around if you change your mind.” With that said so casually, Nicole left the bar, left a flustered Waverly behind, left a whole new mess that would have to be dealt with. Eventually.

Now she was alone, Waverly had no clue what to do with herself. She picked up the discarded cloth, put down the cloth, then looked at her sopping wet shirt and let out a groan. “Of all the ways to see her again!” she muttered unhappily.

*** * * * ***

Shift finally ending, Waverly gratefully and swiftly grabbed her belongings and fled Shorty’s bar. She felt gross after her beer shower, out of sorts because Nicole was back in town, hungry because she’d skipped lunch unable to eat due to the kaleidoscope of butterflies fluttering in her belly, and annoyed because all of the above and the few customers who thought it was funny to comment on her sticky state.

Outside, the early evening sky was grey, the plump clouds threatening snow. She jumped into her red jeep, a gift from her Uncle Curtis who had informed her she needed something to get about in, and with the radio turned up, headed for her aunt and uncle’s home. She left Aurora there while she was working, and truth be told, they were a godsend, never asking for money or anything in return. Unlike her eldest sister who had informed her she expected a wage if she was to give up her free time.

Pulling to a stop outside the McCready house, Waverly climbed out of the jeep and pasted on a too bright smile as she headed for the door. “Hello hello,” she called out in greeting. Hearing giggling in the living room, she walked in and smiled a genuine smile at her daughter who grinned at her from where she was playing on the floor. “There she is,” she greeted, moving closer. “What do you have there, baby girl?”

Gus, who had been smiling, frowned as the stench of beer greeted her nostrils. Knowing her youngest niece wasn’t much of a drinker she realised something must have happened at the bar. “Honey, you smell like a brewery.”

“What? Oh, the darn taps exploded all over me. Again.” Waverly rolled her eyes. “Can you please have a word with Shorty about them.”

“I’ve had a word with him a couple of times and he always tells me the same thing.”

“It’s on my list,” Waverly filled in, lips curled into an affectionate smile. Talking about the bar reminded her of the other surprise she’d had that day. “You’ll never guess who’s back in town.”

“Wynonna?”

“No. Nicole Haught.” Hands went on slender hips. “She just strolled into the bar like she belonged there, like it hasn’t been four years since she left!”

Gus blinked, taken by surprise at the news. Like many people in town, she had thought Nicole was gone for good. “Is she visiting?”

Waverly snorted out a disbelieving laugh. “Get this, Sheriff Nedley offered her a job! She was wearing a Purgatory police uniform!”

“Good for him,” Curtis said as he shuffled into the room. He pressed a kiss against his niece’s head then moved past her towards his chair. “You smell of beer.”

“Beer shower.”

“Tomatoes are looking good.”

“I still have plenty.”

“This town could do with some new blood,” Curtis said, getting back to the subject of Nicole.

“If he was looking for new blood he could have taken on Champ!” Waverly protested.

“Champ’s a damn fool!” Curtis argued. “He couldn’t even pass the preliminary exam if I remember correctly.”

“That wasn’t his fault.”

“It never is. When are you going to stop defending that buffoon and see sense?”

“He’s my husband, Uncle Curtis. When are you going to respect that?”

“When are you going to stop being scared and follow your heart?” he challenged.

“Curtis,” Gus cautioned, not wanting him meddling. She had done enough of that and look at them now.

“I don’t know what you mean,” Waverly said defiantly. “I’m perfectly happily.” She frowned as her uncle snorted in amusement. Turning her attention to her daughter, she smiled and clapped her hands. “Shall we go home, darling?”

“I gave her some dinner an hour ago,” Gus said as she got to her feet. “I have a bit of cake for you both to enjoy later. Curtis has a bounty of carrots, so I made carrot cake.”

“Sounds delicious, Aunt Gus.”

Leading the way to the kitchen, Gus fussed about searching for a Tupperware box to put the cake in. “Are you working tomorrow?”

“Saturday, our busiest day, yep. Is it okay to…?”

“When are you going to learn you don’t have to ask?” Gus asked. She was always brash, but beneath that was a heart of gold. There was nothing on earth she cared more about than her family.

“You might have plans,” Waverly hedged. She had never been one to assume anything. “Maybe Uncle Curtis is taking you into the city.”

Gus barked out a laugh. “What on Earth for? We got everything we need right here. If we do need anything, we can get it in town.” Finding a Tupperware box big enough, she placed the cake inside and busied herself with putting on the lid. “How long is Champ gone?” she asked, her back to Waverly.

“He told me two weeks, but he meant three. This weekend, he’s doing an event in California, then he’s going to a two-week event in Texas.”

“Two and a bit,” Gus worked out. Turning with the Tupperware box in hand, she studied Waverly and felt for the girl as she saw the despondent look on her face. Everyone had had high hopes for Waverly, had been so sure she was going to be a success story, and here she was, stuck in Purgatory and married to a man-child who was only interested in his own needs. Feeling a confession bubbling, Gus opened her mouth only for Waverly to jump in.

“Nicole said Wynonna’s in Greece.”

“Greece? What on Earth for?”

Waverly shook her head, having no idea. “Do you think she’ll ever come home?”

“Who can ever predict what Wynonna will and won’t do?” She handed over the box. “Don’t dwell on it too much.”

“But don’t you wonder why she left?”

Gus inhaled, jaw clenching. “You know we always had our differences. She’s too much like your mama. Michelle was part of the rodeo scene, a free spirit with the urge to roam.” She shook her head. “One day this family will break the damn circle you seem to be stuck in.”

Smiling lovingly, Waverly stepped forward and kissed her aunt’s cheek. “Thanks, Aunt Gus. I better get going, I’ve got to make something to eat and give Aurora a bath before bedtime.”

“Drive safe, you know there are lunatics on the roads, especially on a Friday, especially if there’s snow.”

“Especially in Purgatory!”

continued....


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Your kudos and comments were a nice surprise for a short first chapter, thank you so much.
> 
> Bit of self promotion - Regal Crest are publishing my novel "The Place I Call Home" in December. Not gonna lie, probably going to remind everyone nearer the time. Every little helps, right?

**Chapter Two**

**T** he small two bedroom apartment Waverly had found for her little family wasn’t much but it was theirs. Sort of. Theirs as long as they paid the rent, which some months was harder to do than others. Waverly didn’t hate the apartment but she didn’t want to spend the rest of her life living there either, even if it was a slight improvement on where she and Champ had been living after getting married.

Champ was right, they could be living at the Earp homestead for free. But if they did that it meant she would have to put up with Willa and her ever changing moods and the frequent company of her sweetheart, Robert, who in truth Waverly didn’t mind.

Her eldest sister wasn’t the only problem though, nightmares of the night her father had been murdered still occasionally haunted Waverly, and she feared that if she returned to where it happened she would never get a good night’s sleep again. They never had caught Ward’s murderer.

Standing in the kitchenette preparing dinner for herself, her daughter happily playing on the floor a safe distance away, Waverly found her thoughts drifting. Drifting from her living arrangements, her marriage to a man who wouldn’t grow up, and back to her teenage years. To Nicole.

Damn her for coming back, she thought morosely. And being married to some city girl who had probably seen more of the world than Waverly could ever hope to.

Stirring the contents in the saucepan, she started humming absent-mindedly, a familiar song she recognised only too well. James Brown’s “Try Me” was a song she liked to put on when she was in a particular melancholic mood and wanted to torment herself with memories of the past, memories of happier times. As per usual when thinking of the song, her thoughts settled on Nicole and the summer before she had left town.

Summer:

Waverly Earp pointed up at the clear night sky. “And that is Altair, Alpha Aquilae, the twelfth brightest star in the sky.”

Nicole Haught didn’t really care much for astrology. But it fascinated Waverly and the youngest Earp was always keen to share her knowledge with anyone who would listen, and Nicole was keen to listen. Most times. Tonight though, with her head so close to Waverly’s, their bodies touching all down one side, Nicole had other things on her mind.

Glancing at the redhead, Waverly smiled shyly. “You’re not really interested at all, right?”

“I like listening to you talk about things you’re passionate about,” Nicole admitted.

Closing what little gap there was between them, Waverly captured the other girl’s lips, moaning into the kiss as it deepened. “I’m passionate about kissing you,” she murmured.

Nicole smiled. “I’m passionate about that, too.”

Waverly had spent her whole life tailoring herself for the people around her. She had made herself the girl, the woman, they all expected her to be. She got good grades in school, she joined the cheer squad, she had the right friends, she was nice to everyone, helpful when she could be, and she buried her true feelings deep down inside herself and ignored them.

But she couldn’t stay away from Nicole. When it came to the beautiful redhead she was like a moth to a flame. Sure, she had heard the rumours around town about her sexuality, had smiled politely when being cautioned about being alone with Nicole because she wasn’t one of them, she hadn’t been born in Purgatory so therefore was an outsider. Waverly ignored it all because she knew Nicole, had known Nicole nearly her whole life. Nicole was good and kind and didn’t have a bad bone in her whole body.

Waverly couldn’t say exactly when she had developed a little crush on her older sister’s best friend, a crush she had kept very much to herself for years until Nicole had shyly confessed to feeling something more than friendship. It seemed to her it had happened out of the blue. As if one day she had woken up and seen what was right in front of her in vibrant technicolour.

At first, without being too obvious, she had found ways to hangout with Wynonna and Nicole, had found ways to include herself in their plans. Nicole had always been welcoming and friendly, even when Wynonna hadn’t.

That hadn’t really changed anything, so Waverly had tried to figure out if Nicole had feelings for her. She wore outfits that revealed as much skin as Gus would let her get away with and tried to catch Nicole staring longingly at her, she mentioned cute boys to see if Nicole got jealous, she read an article that encouraged women to laugh around someone they liked, so she fake laughed. A lot. In the end Nicole had asked her if she was all right because she was acting really odd, so Waverly went back to being Waverly and everyone was happy.

Waverly moaned softly and scratched lightly at the scalp of the woman who was currently trailing kisses down her neck. There was nothing better in the world as far as she was concerned than kissing Nicole Haught. Sure, her feelings scared and confused her, but when she was with Nicole everything in her world felt right. She felt cared for, appreciated, loved. Things she didn’t get to feel very often.

They were currently in the bed of Nicole’s old second-hand pick-up truck, lying on a thick blanket Nicole had been thoughtful enough to bring with her. Nicole had driven them out to the abandoned Earp homestead where no one would think to find them. No one ever came out to Earp land because of what had happened when Waverly was a little girl. It was deemed cursed land.

The golden oldies station that Nicole loved so much was playing softly. Accompanying the music was the sound of crickets out for the night somewhere nearby and the occasional unhappy hoot of an owl.

Not wanting the barrier of clothing between them, Waverly ran her hands beneath Nicole’s retro T-shirt and lifted it, wanting it gone.

Breaking the heated kiss, Nicole pulled away and got up to kneel between Waverly’s parted thighs, lifting her T-shirt up and off before smiling nervously as she reached for Waverly’s top. “You’re wearing far too many clothes,” she teased lightly.

Smiling, Waverly sat up and helped the redhead get the top off. Both now topless, bras quickly followed and they returned to kissing heatedly and fondling each other, delighting in the feel of naked skin beneath their hands, tongues dancing together as they kissed deeply. This was all new territory for them, all so new and exciting. Their little secret. Until they could figure out exactly what it was between them.

Lying back, Waverly watched Nicole drinking her in and felt like the most beautiful woman on Earth. She had always felt self-conscious, especially when the boys at school leered and hooted and hollered at her, because she knew they only wanted one thing. Nicole was different from anyone she had ever known. No one had ever made her feel the way Nicole made her feel and even when she wasn’t at her best, she knew the redhead still liked her just the same.

Smiling adoringly, she reached up and curled a hand around Nicole’s shoulder and urged her down. Nicole was like a drug she couldn’t get enough of. She moaned encouragingly as warm lips found her hard nipple, tingles of pleasure shooting through her as the rigid nub was teased making her toes curl. She whimpered and clutched desperately at the other girl, wanting more, needing more. “Nicole!”

It was a familiar plea. Giving herself some space to manoeuvre, Nicole glided her hand up a silky-smooth thigh, fingertips dancing teasingly beneath the hem of Waverly’s short skirt. “I love you in this skirt.”

“You love me out of it more.”

As her lips found Waverly’s once again, Nicole slid her hand inside damp underwear. “Pretty horny tonight, huh?”

“You don’t have to sound so smug about it.” Waverly reached out to caress the adorable dimples that had appeared, then brought kiss-swollen lips back to her own. Her tongue slipped willingly into Nicole’s open mouth, swirling and teasing. She could quite happily do this all night, but there were far more interesting things they could be doing.

With a teasing smile curling her lips, Waverly pushed Nicole gently away and proceeded to wiggle out of her skirt and underwear. “You said something about too many clothes.”

Grinning, Nicole slipped two fingers easily inside Waverly’s heated core and started a quick in and out thrusting rhythm. Waverly moaned aloud as she thrust herself onto the exploring fingers, the familiar tightening in her belly letting her know she was almost there, almost at the precipice. Her breath caught in her chest, body flushing red as she raced towards the ultimate high.

“Keep going! Don’t stop!” she panted in encouragement.

Nicole rubbed her thumb feather-light across her lover’s swollen clitoris and smiled as the soft muscles that enclosed her fingers contracted. Waverly’s eyes scrunched tightly shut as a gasp escaped her parted lips, the whole of her body shuddering as she burst into a million pieces and floated away on a cloud of bliss.

Waverly wasn’t sure if she had passed out, but she felt warm and safe, as if she had slipped into a warm bath scented just the way she liked, with her favourite tunes playing softly just for her and a decadent cup of hot chocolate close to hand. Opening her eyes, she found Nicole smiling at her.

“You’re extraordinary,” Nicole said softly.

Blushing from the compliment, Waverly smiled shyly. “Not really.”

“Yes, really.”

“You think my star knowledge is impressive?” Waverly teased lightly as she snuggled closer to the warmth of Nicole’s body. It was in no way cold out but she didn’t need a reason to get as close as she could to the other girl.

“Among other things.” Nicole brushed her lips against Waverly’s. “Take the compliment, Waves. You don’t get anywhere near enough of them.”

Content, Waverly closed her eyes as she lay her head on Nicole’s shoulder. She wrapped an arm around the redhead’s waist and inhaled deeply, taking in the aroma of summer grass, fresh night air cooling after a day of blazing sunshine, and Nicole. Nicole smelt like vanilla-dipped doughnuts ever since taking a summer job at the doughnut shop. They were Waverly’s favourite, not that she would tell Nicole that. Exhaling, she smiled and curled even closer, as close as she could get, her thoughts drifting back to the first time they had made love.

Their first time had been in her uncle’s barn. There had been a summer storm and the aroma of wet grass was heavy in the air. Not that they had noticed. Heatedly making-out, unable to get enough of each other, unable to get close enough, touch enough, Waverly had realised she was ready. Ready to take the next important step. So, she had made it very clear she wanted more than just kissing. Nicole hadn’t been so sure.

Nicole had shyly admitted that she thought it would be like in the movies with candles and soft music. Waverly had smiled and told her that as long as it was private, she didn’t care where it happened, just as long as it was with Nicole.

Afterwards, as they had lain side by side, heartbeats slowly returning to a more reasonable pace, their breathing evening out, Waverly knew she had made the right decision. It had been everything she had ever thought it would be. Nicole had been a gentle and generous lover, and Waverly had no regrets whatsoever.

Fingertips drawing patterns on the bare skin of Nicole’s belly, Waverly heard the redhead sigh as she stared up at the clear night sky. Roy Orbison had changed to James Brown’s “Try Me” a song she really liked ever since hearing it in a Christian Slater movie. She got the sense something was on Nicole’s mind, but didn’t press her to talk about whatever it was. Nicole would bring it up when she was good and ready.

Putting her weight onto one arm, she trailed feather-light kisses down Nicole’s neck, more than ready to return the favour that had already been shown to her.

“Rumour has it Champ asked you out,” Nicole blurted out.

The kissing stopped instantly as the words hit her ears, her fingertips froze on heated skin, and she pulled away from Nicole, sighing softly. She had hoped that the news wouldn’t reach Nicole, but the one thing people in Purgatory were good at was gossiping. “Where did you hear that?”

“Around. So, did he?”

Rolling onto her back, Waverly stared up at the sky, easily picking out the constellations that fascinated her. “Yeah.” She heard a sharp intake of breath.

“What… what did you tell him?”

“Nicole,” Waverly breathed. She felt like her heart was being squeezed painfully tight. She wasn’t ready for this conversation.

“What did you tell him, Waverly?”

Head turning so she could meet brown eyes, Waverly ran her tongue across her top lip before answering. “I told him I would think about it.”

“What about us?”

“What about us, Nicole? We both agreed we felt something but didn’t want to put a label on it.” She watched the redhead shake her head and sit up, reaching out for her discarded T-shirt.

“Maybe I do want to put a label on it.”

“Really?” Waverly scoffed, suddenly furious. “How’s Harry, Nicole? Is he still your boyfriend?”

That argument had been the beginning of the end of them, Waverly thought, scowling at the tomato sauce she was stirring. Dinner ready, she busied herself with getting it on a plate, emptying her thoughts of Nicole and their past.

“Would you like a slice of Aunt Gus’s carrot cake, baby girl?”

Aurora, who looked so much like she had at the same age, or so Gus had told her, looked at Waverly and nodded enthusiastically.

“Say yes please,” Waverly encouraged.

“Yes, pwease, Mama.”

They sat at the table together, Aurora chattering about her day and Waverly listening and nodding along. Her childhood had been blighted by a missing mother, a father who barely acknowledged her existence, and an elder sister who delighted in bullying her. Because of this, she had vowed her daughter would grow up knowing she was loved, that her thoughts and opinions and interests counted, and that she was very much wanted.

After finishing their respective food, Aurora returned to playing while Waverly turned her attention to washing-up the little mess she had created making dinner. “Twenty more minutes, Aurora. Then you’re having a bath,” she announced, hands sinking into warm soapy water to begin the chore of washing-up.

“Okay, Mama.”

With a mindless task to see to, Waverly’s thoughts again returned to her childhood, back to the summer when she had been so happy, then so heartbroken, all because she hadn’t been ready for what was being offered, all because she had been scared of what everyone would say and think of her.

Waverly hated the shift in mood, hated the way she suddenly felt. The evening had been so perfect and now she felt all out of sorts. No, she felt scared. Petrified. She was petrified of what she felt for Nicole, petrified she wasn’t normal, petrified of what people would think and say if they ever found out, and most of all, petrified that she would never be accepted.

Ever since confessing to their feelings the previous summer, Waverly had spent a lot of her time with Nicole, enjoying the redhead’s company a hell of a lot more than that of her friends. It had been noticed and commented on by more than one person, but Waverly followed her heart and for once had done what made her happy.

Nicole was gentle and kind and listened attentively as she went on and on about whatever was in her head that week, while her friends teased and laughed at her for all her deep thinking.

This evening she had happily turned down bowling with her friends to come out stargazing with Nicole. Her best friend since childhood, Chrissy Nedley, daughter of the town sheriff, had politely informed her rumours were starting to spread around town about how much time she was spending with Nicole and that she might consider spending some time apart from the lanky redhead. Unless the rumours were true. Which they were but Waverly couldn’t, wouldn’t admit.

She had cheerfully told her best friend she was being ridiculous, that she and Nicole were just friends bonding over missing Wynonna, which had made Chrissy feel bad because she hadn’t asked Waverly how she was doing with Wynonna being gone and thankfully switched topics.

“I’m not monopolising too much of your time, am I?” Waverly asked Nicole. “You probably want to spend some time with Harry.”

“Not at all,” Nicole replied quickly. Maybe a little too quickly. “I’ve enjoyed spending time with you, Waves. In truth, it’s been nice to have some space from him.”

Taking Nicole’s hand because she couldn’t bear to not have contact when they were in such close proximity, Waverly squeezed the appendage supportively, wanting Nicole to know she was there for her if she wanted to talk. Even if she herself didn’t really want to hear it. “Is everything all right between you two?” She thought Harry was a Neanderthal.

“Everything he says and does irritates me.”

“Oh.”

“He’s such a… boy-man at times it gets on my nerves!”

“Why are you dating him then?” The question was asked with genuine curiosity. Waverly had always thought Nicole could do better than Harry Tenma.

“I don’t know,” Nicole sighed. “He asked.”

Waverly looked at the other girl incredulously. “That’s it? He asked so you said yes?”

“I’m thinking about breaking up with him.”

That made Waverly deliriously happy and scared at the same time in equal measure. “Really?”

“Uh-huh.”

Waverly started playing with Nicole’s fingers, noting how well their hands fit together, how soft Nicole’s skin was. “Because you’re going to be leaving for college soon?” As Nicole turned on her side, Waverly also turned so they were face-to-face.

“Partly. But...” Nicole exhaled.

“But what?” Waverly asked softly, barely breathing. She knew what she wanted to hear, but at the same time didn’t really want to hear it, positive it would change things between them. And she rather liked how things were right now.

“But mostly because he’s not you,” Nicole confessed. “This summer with you has made me realise what was missing in my relationship with him. I’ve realised it’s you I want, Waverly. I want to label us as girlfriends, I want to date you, go out in public and be able to hold your hand, tell the whole stupid town that I love you.”

Waverly watched Nicole’s face brightening the more she spoke, could see the love shining at her. All she felt was the tightening knot of fear in her belly grow. The fear of being judged, the fear of being an outcast. There were already some who avoided her because they believed her family to be cursed.

Then there was what remained of her family. Her aunt and uncle who had so generously taken her and her sisters in, would they understand or be repulsed? Wynonna, who was Nicole’s best friend, had so few friends, would she feel betrayed and hate them both? And Willa. Okay, so Waverly didn’t really care what Willa thought, they had never got along, but she was still family and they did sometimes have moments of normalcy.

If she came out as gay she could end up with nothing, no one. Shunned by all and homeless if her aunt and uncle saw fit to throw her out. Where would she go? What would she do for money and food? Love wouldn’t get her very far, especially since Nicole was leaving town soon. She had her own stuff to deal with, she wouldn’t want her high school girlfriend tagging along.

“You’re not gay.” Her voice had a touch of hysteria to it. “You can’t be gay, you have a boyfriend.”

“Waverly, that’s—” Nicole shook her head. “Look, I’ve done a lot of thinking lately and maybe I’m not so straight.”

Waverly shifted away from the redhead, suddenly twitchy. “So, you’re saying you’re… gay?” she tried to clarify.

“Well, I’m still really confused about...” Nicole laughed nervously. “Everything! I’m confused about everything. But one thing I do know is that when I’m around you, the world makes sense. When we’re together like this,” she waved a hand between them, “it feels right, Waves.”

Waverly wasn’t ready for this. Wasn’t ready to be confronted with it, wasn’t ready to deal with it. “It could be a phase though, right? These feelings we’re having. Girls practise kissing with each other all the time.”

“I don’t think it’s a phase. And we’ve done more than kissing.”

Waverly’s eyes were wide and panicked, her heart racing. “Say you come out and a month from now you realise you’ve made a mistake. Everyone will hate you, Nicole. Everyone will treat you differently. You know what people in Purgatory are like.”

“I’m not scared,” Nicole decided. “This is me and if they can’t accept that then that’s their problem. I want to be happy. Life is too short to pamper to what everyone around me wants and expects.” She smiled at the younger girl. “I want to love and be loved. I want you, Waverly Earp. You make my world a little brighter. A lot brighter.”

Waverly shook her head. This was all too much, too soon, too… now. “I like what we’ve been doing, Nicole,” she said softly. Her gaze drifted to the field they were parked in, not going anywhere near the redhead. “I don’t know if it’s what I really want though. I mean, when Champ asked me out, I was...” She had been bewildered.

“You’re so concerned about what others think of you.” Nicole shook her head. “You can’t live like that, Waves. You have to be you, you have to love who you want to love, do what you want to do.”

“It’s not that simple!” Waverly interrupted. “You have no idea how people are towards my family.”

“So, you want to pretend to be someone you’re not to fit in? To please them?”

“Who said I’m pretending? I… I like Champ.” She didn’t. She barely tolerated him.

“You hate Champ. You once kicked him in the balls because he was picking on Chrissy.”

“I could like Champ,” Waverly argued. “We’ve grown up together.”

“We’ve grown up together!”

“We know each other,” Waverly continued, not to be swayed from her argument.

“We know each other. Intimately!”

“All right, sure, he still has moments of immaturity.”

“Moments?” Nicole asked incredulously. “The last day of school he—”

Waverly shook her head, not wanting to hear it, not when she was trying to convince herself to give him a chance, to give herself a chance at being normal. “I’m not gay. I’m sorry, Nicole. This… this is just a summer fling. I’m upset with Wynonna for disappearing without a word, I’m scared about school starting up again, about the expectations people have about me. There’s a million and one things I’m dealing with right now, I just want the world to slow down for one frigging minute!”

“Hey!” Nicole soothed. “It’s okay.” She reached out to take Waverly’s hand. “It’s gonna be okay.”

Waverly moved out of reach. She couldn’t handle the contact right now, knowing that if Nicole touched her, held her, kissed her, she would melt and concede that maybe Nicole was right about them, right about the feelings between them. She didn’t want to face it, wasn’t ready to face it, she just wanted everything to remain the same, wanted time to think and adapt. She needed to plan.

“I would never ask you to be someone you’re not, Waves,” Nicole said softly.

“Good,” Waverly stubbornly replied, a jumble of emotions. She so wasn’t ready for this conversation. Why couldn’t Nicole just be happy with what they had? “Don’t ask me to be anyone at all!”

“Fine.”

“Fine.” Realising exactly what she had said and not wanting all ties between them to be cut, Waverly started to backtrack. “Well, maybe just… friends.”

Nicole sighed heavily. “Sure, Waves. Whatever you want.” She shifted to climb out of the truck. “I should drive you home. It’s getting late.”

“Right.” Waverly felt sick. They’d had it so perfect and now it felt like it was over.

Things weren’t the same between them after that. Wynonna came back and with her around Waverly and Nicole had no time to properly talk and clear the air. Not that talking was on the menu. Waverly hadn’t helped matters at all by avoiding Nicole.

She dried her damp hands, then puffed out her cheeks as she threw down the tea towel. Now she’s back, she thought as she turned around to face her daughter. “Bath time, bubba.”

Looking up at her mother, Aurora smiled gleefully. “Wid bubbles, Mama?”

“Of course you can have bubbles. It wouldn’t be a bath without lots of bubbles, would it?” Scooping the little girl up, Waverly made her way towards the bathroom, Aurora chattering excitedly about which toys she wanted in the bath with her, while Waverly’s thoughts lingered on Nicole and the wedding band that now sat on her finger.


	3. Chapter 3

**S** itting on the wooden floor of her living room in her new home, Nicole stared at the photo album in her lap. Despite having done a full shift at the station, she was supposed to be helping unpack but had stumbled across a box of old photos and that was that, she had spent the past hour lost in her past.

“Hey, did you hear what I said?” Shea called out softly as she stepped into the living room.

Blinking, Nicole looked at her wife and smiled sheepishly. “Sorry. I was—”

“Walking down memory lane?” Shea smiled, not angry in the slightest. Walking around the sofa, she tenderly touched Nicole’s head and glanced at what had captured the redhead’s attention. “Is it weird being back?”

“Yeah, a little bit.” Nicole turned a page and found herself looking at a picture of her teenage self and two of the Earp sisters. The sun was shining brightly in a blue sky, Nicole had a black eye from a fight she’d had with Champ, Wynonna had a split lip from getting caught by a flying elbow, and Waverly was between them, smiling at Nicole as if she were a knight in shining armour because she had gone to the younger girl’s rescue.

“Is that Waverly?” Shea pointed.

“Yeah,” Nicole smiled wistfully. “And you know Wynonna,” she pointed.

“She’s pretty. Waverly, I mean.”

“Mm.”

“Wasn’t there another sister?”

“Uh-huh. Willa. She never hung out with us. She was—”

“A psychopath I think you told me once,” Shea chuckled. She sat on the sofa and smiled as Nicole leaned back into her. “I finished in the kitchen,” she mentioned. “So, at least we’ve got one room done.”

“I started in here,” Nicole protested. Brown eyes drifted around the room and she saw she hadn’t got much done at all. “I put the bookcase up.”

“But didn’t unpack the books.”

“I started to, but I discovered this first.” Smiling, Nicole shrugged.

Dark brown eyes settled on the pictures again. “Do you think they’re still around?”

“Waverly is. She works at Shorty’s, the bar. Wynonna’s in Greece. And Willa—” Nicole frowned, not entirely sure. “I have no idea about Willa.” She tilted her head back so she could meet Shea’s eyes. “Sheriff had me do a walk around town today. Said I should re-familiarise myself with the town. Nothing much has changed. It never does in Purgatory.”

Shea ran her fingers through long red locks. “Are you excited about your job?”

“We’ve been here a week already.”

“Doesn’t stop you from being excited.”

“It was a great offer and yeah, I’m excited to get stuck in.”

Shea laughed out loud. “Do you think there’s anything to get stuck into? You told me Purgatory was pretty sleepy.”

“That’s how it seemed when I was a kid. But you know kids, they never pay much attention to what’s going on around them.”

“How about on your walk around, anything stand out?”

“There is this one guy, total creep. Tucker Gardener. I saw him milling about. In high school he used to put everyone on edge because there was something not right about him. But maybe he’s changed. Grown up and matured and all that. Other than that, same people, same businesses.”

Shea focused on playing with red strands of hair, hating that she suddenly felt so insecure. “So, you saw Waverly.”

“I did. I popped into Shorty’s.” Nicole remembered Waverly standing behind the bar, beer drenched but still looking like an angel. “She was behind the bar.”

Waverly Earp. The girl Nicole was so hung up on when they first met. Shea remembered when she had first met Nicole that the first thing that had struck her was that the redhead was clearly still in love with Waverly, despite telling anyone who asked that it was over and her heart was broken but healing.

Over time, once she had realised small town girl Waverly was no threat, Shea had agreed to go out with the charming redhead and eventually allowed herself to fall for Nicole. She had never had a reason to worry because Waverly was back in the town where Nicole grew up and Nicole never ventured back. Then when Wynonna had turned up at the house a group of them shared with news of her baby sister getting married, Shea had been confident that whatever was in the past was well and truly in the past.

But now they were in Purgatory, living and working after a too-good-to-be-true job offer from the local sheriff. And Waverly was still here too. Not an ideal situation seeing how their marriage was a little rocky lately.

“Is she still married? Or back here nursing a broken heart?” Shea asked as casually as she could.

“Still married,” Nicole muttered. “Living and working here while her dickhead husband tours the country with the rodeo circuit. I told you he’s a bull rider, didn’t I?”

“Rodeo clown I think you said.”

Shrugging, Nicole turned the page and laughed as she spotted a photo of the old beat-up truck she had once owned.

“Is that yours?”

“It was. This was taken the day I bought it. Look at me, I look so proud of that heap of junk. I meant to fix it up but never got around to it. It was cheap and got me around town.” She had driven the old truck to college when she had left Purgatory and the poor old girl had died not long after. Her thoughts drifted to her last summer in Purgatory, a summer night spent in the bed of the pick-up with a certain Earp she’d had trouble forgetting.

Summer:

Hovering over Waverly, Nicole smiled adoringly as she lowered herself to claim waiting lips.

It was a perfect summer evening in her mind, the humidity was easing to make it pleasant rather than stifling, good tunes were playing in the background and she was in the company of a beautiful woman who liked her. She couldn’t think of anywhere she would rather be. She had parked on abandoned Earp land and they were in the bed of her beat-up old truck, lying on the thick blanket Nicole had been thoughtful enough to bring with her.

Their tongues met and entwined in an age-old dance of passion, hands roaming as they sought purchase on heated flesh. Waverly’s hands slipped beneath Nicole’s retro California Dreamin’ T-shirt, short fingernails lightly scratching at Nicole’s back before she slid the T-shirt up.

Breaking the kiss, Nicole pulled back and got up to kneel between Waverly’s parted thighs, eyes on the younger girl as she lifted the T-shirt up and off, smiling nervously as she reached for Waverly’s top. “You’re wearing far too many clothes, Waves,” she teased lightly.

Returning the smile, Waverly sat up and helped get her top off. Both now topless, hands quickly returned to skin, lips finding each other again.

As Waverly reclined, Nicole took in the sight before her. Waverly Earp was beautiful inside and out. She had the body of a cheerleader who put in long hours of perfecting dance routines, solid abs and muscular thighs all wrapped in a lithe dancer’s body. Her eyes always shone with kindness, unless she was mad at you, and she was almost always smiling, no matter what life threw her way. Nicole adored her.

Waverly reached up and curled a hand around Nicole’s shoulder and urged her down, letting Nicole know she was ready to continue with what they were doing. More than ready to indulge in her need for Waverly, Nicole lowered her head and wrapped her lips around the rigid nub of a nipple, tongue teasing the unyielding bud.

Waverly whimpered and clutched desperately at Nicole, her body writhing in pleasure. “Nicole!”

It was a familiar plea. One that told Nicole Waverly didn’t want to hang around, didn’t want to be teased. Giving herself some space, Nicole glided her hand up a silky smooth thigh, fingertips dancing teasingly beneath the hem of Waverly’s short skirt. As her lips found Waverly’s once again, she slid her hand inside damp underwear. “Pretty horny tonight, huh?”

“You don’t have to sound so smug about it.” Waverly caressed the dimples that appeared from Nicole smiling smugly, then curled around the back of Nicole’s head to bring kiss-swollen lips to her.

Entering Waverly with two fingers, Nicole groaned as the hugging warmth that greeted her tightened around her digits. Feeling the pulsing muscles, hearing Waverly’s desperate moaning, Nicole knew her lover was close to climax already and didn’t hesitate in setting up a quick in and out thrusting rhythm.

“Keep going!” Waverly panted as she thrust herself in time with Nicole’s movement. “Don’t stop!”

Recognising the signs of impending orgasm, Nicole rubbed her thumb feather-light across Waverly’s swollen clitoris and smiled as the soft muscles that enclosed her fingers contracted, a gasp escaping parted lips, Waverly’s whole body shuddering as she fell over the precipice and into bliss.

With Waverly temporarily lost in an orgasmic haze, Nicole lay on her back staring at the star-dotted sky, trying to remember the constellations Waverly had shared with her. Turning her head so she could see Waverly, Nicole smiled when she found the younger girl had her eyes closed, a peaceful smile gracing her lips.

She fondly remembered the first time they had made love, how there had been very few nerves between them because it felt so right. They had been kissing and touching and clinging to each other, when Waverly made it very clear she had wanted more than just what they were doing.

Nicole hadn’t been so sure. Telling Waverly her thoughts on how she thought their first time would be, Waverly had smiled lovingly and asked her how that was going to happen when they couldn’t go back to either of their homes because their relationship was a big secret that neither wanted anyone to know about yet. And neither of them could afford a hotel room in the city because they certainly couldn’t go local because one thing the people of Purgatory were good at was gossiping.

So it had happened in a barn, the hay loft to be precise, and Nicole wouldn’t swap the moment even if she was granted a wish to go back and change it.

Hearing a soft mewl of satisfaction, Nicole met hazel eyes. “Back with me?”

“Mm-hmm.”

The redhead closed the small gap that was between them and brushed her lips against Waverly’s.

“You’re not listening to me again.”

Shea’s voice broke through Nicole’s reminiscing, bringing her back to the present. “Sorry. Seeing these old photos just got me thinking. What were you saying?”

“I wondered if you were hungry?”

“Sure, I could eat,” Nicole smiled. “Do we have anything in the house?”

Shea pulled a face. “We were supposed to go food shopping. How about we order something in? A takeaway menu was posted through the letterbox today.”

“A takeaway menu? Wow, I guess Purgatory has changed a little. What’s the restaurant?”

“Chinese.” The elegant doctor got to her feet and walked over to the where she had dropped the leaflet. “I fancy anything sweet and sour. How about you, babe? Got any cravings?”

“Beef chow mein, vegetable spring rolls, and shrimp fried rice,” Nicole listed as she thought about what she liked. “Oh, and—”

“Duck satay,” Shea finished for her, knowing what her wife liked.

Nicole grinned. “If they have it.” Ordering Chinese got her thinking about Waverly again. The youngest Earp liked to add peanut butter to her sweet and sour, always making Nicole and Wynonna laugh and cringe at the thought. She had missed Waverly, she realised. Seeing her today had made her realise just how much and she regretted how things had ended between them.

“So, you never did tell me why you left town on such bad terms,” Shea said as she looked around for the portable phone.

“Who said I left on bad terms?”

“You never came back for starters. And secondly, when we first met you told me you were nursing a broken heart.”

“Oh.” Nicole glanced at the photo album. “Yeah.” She shook her head to dispel the memories and looked at her wife. “It doesn’t matter. It’s all in the past.”

Spotting the phone, Shea strode across the living room to grab it. “Doesn’t mean I don’t want to hear about it sometime.”

“Sure. Sometime.” With her wife busy ordering food, Nicole turned the page and found herself looking at a photo of Waverly and herself.

Waverly was in her cheerleader’s uniform and had an arm wrapped around Nicole’s back, Nicole’s arm was around Waverly’s shoulders and both were smiling and slightly flushed. Nicole remembered that was the afternoon Wynonna had nearly caught them in a clinch. Waverly had put on a private dance show and it had finished with the pair in each other’s arms, lips sealed in a passionate kiss. Luckily, they had heard the clumping of approaching boots and by the time Wynonna threw open the door, there was a respectable amount of distance between them.

She had left Purgatory on bad terms. Leaving and vowing never to come back. She had been in love and Waverly hadn’t, she thought morosely. That was the problem.

“How are things at home?” Nicole asked softly, running her fingers through soft brown locks. “Willa still going out of her way to make you miserable?”

“I hate it when Wynonna pulls a disappearing act,” Waverly admitted, her hurt at being abandoned by her older sister evident in her tone.

“Have you heard from her?”

“Have you?”

Nicole exhaled heavily. “No.” Her troubled best friend was quite the conundrum to her. She knew Wynonna had issues; all the Earp sisters did because of what had happened in their childhood. She was almost certain Willa was a psychopath, Wynonna acted out, the people in town not helping matters by labelling her trouble, and Waverly, along with her abandonment issues after years of being ignored and overlooked, craved love and attention.

“Me neither. As for Willa, she’s being Willa. When she’s around. Thankfully, she’s been spending more and more time with Robert lately. Much to Gus’s irritation.”

“Gus doesn’t approve?”

“Well, you have to admit Robert’s a little… eccentric.”

The man was downright weird as far as Nicole was concerned. He walked around in a fur coat he claimed was wolf pelt from an animal he had killed and skinned himself.

“I don’t care,” Waverly continued. “As long as she’s not around to bully me, I couldn’t care less who she dates. I just wish Wynonna would come home.”

They fell silent and listened to Roy Orbison’s melancholic voice singing, “Love Hurts.”

Nicole didn’t mind Wynonna being gone. She knew the brunette would find her way back to Purgatory sooner or later. She always did, ever since the first time she had disappeared when they were twelve. She had been gone three days and given everyone a scare, then turned up with tales of adventure in the woods.

Nicole worried, of course, the big wide world could be a scary, dangerous place, and she didn’t want anything to happen to her best friend. It would just about kill Waverly if anything were to happen. But the truth was, with Wynonna gone, she had Waverly to herself and lately that pleased her in ways she couldn’t fathom.

She was dating Harry Tenma, star of the football team from the next town over. He was handsome and popular, and a lot of girls were envious that he was dating Nicole. They made quite the couple, but Nicole wasn’t as happy as she should have been. She had never felt fully comfortable in his company, could never fully be herself with him, and lately found herself growing irritated by his childish behaviour, his obnoxious way of talking about girls and sex just to get a laugh from his buddies, and the way he draped himself all over her when they were together.

Then there was Waverly Earp. So sweet and so kind, that people couldn’t help but fall in love with her. Nicole included. Waverly had been on her mind a lot lately. More than was probably healthy.

She had been thirteen years old when she first realised she had a crush on Waverly Earp. Wynonna had been running her mouth about kissing for the first time and cute boys she’d like to practise with and Nicole had realised the only person she wanted to kiss was Waverly. She also quickly discovered that these thoughts weren’t the norm, all of her other friends were like Wynonna and talked about kissing boys and going out with boys, so Nicole had gone along to get along, just wanting to fit in.

But she dreamed about Waverly, thought about Waverly when she woke up, thought of her before she slept, felt her heart pick up in pace whenever the girl appeared and smiled a Waverly smile at her. At sixteen, she had the realisation that she thought more about Waverly than she did her boyfriend and had freaked out completely.

She had tried putting some distance between them at first, but Waverly had called her out on it and Nicole cracked, confessing, almost apologetically, about the feelings she had. To her amazement, Waverly had smiled and reached out to hold her hand as she told Nicole she felt the same way. They had tentatively agreed to explore their newly confessed feelings on the down-low, not feeling the need to put a name to it, whatever it was.

This year, as summer had gone on, Nicole came to realise that she felt things for Waverly she had never felt for her boyfriend. She realised Waverly was who she wanted. She wanted to put a name to what was between them, wanted to shout from the rooftops that she was in love with Waverly Earp and that it was the best feeling in the world.

“Love Hurts” finished and morphed into “Try Me” by James Brown as Nicole sighed and focused on the stars she could now put a name to above her. She desperately wanted to ask Waverly how she truly felt but feared the answer might not be what she wanted to hear.

They had been so careful about being together, always keeping some friendly distance between themselves when in town together or while in the company of others. Waverly was very skittish about everything, so there were no displays of affection and no hand holding anywhere they might be seen, they gave no indication whatsoever that there was something going on between them. And things were great between them, so Nicole wasn’t sure she wanted to upset the cart.

But there was something playing on her mind. A rumour she had heard that had twisted up her insides and been bothering her ever since.

She shivered as feather-light kisses were placed on her neck, Waverly’s fingers drawing patterns on the bare skin of her belly. “Rumour has it Champ asked you out,” she blurted out, knowing she was killing the mood, but needing to know if it was true or not.

The kissing stopped instantly, the gentle caressing stopped, and Waverly sighed as she pulled away, looking resigned. “Where did you hear that?”

“Around. So, did he?”

Rolling onto her back, Waverly stared at the perfect clear sky. “Yeah.”

Nicole waited for an elaboration, but none was forth coming. Her guts twisted even more. Maybe this was it, this was going to be the moment Waverly told her it had been fun and all but now it was over between them. “What...” Her throat felt like she had swallowed sand. She swallowed and tried again. “What did you tell him?”

“Nicole,” Waverly breathed.

“What did you tell him, Waves?”

“I told him I would think about it.”

It felt like a punch to the guts. “What about us?” Her heart was hammering in her chest. This was the worst news ever. Champ was the worst person in Purgatory in her opinion. A lot like Harry, Champ walked around like a puffed up peacock, eyeing all the girls like he was God’s gift. If she was going to be rejected, she wanted it to be for someone worthy of Waverly’s beautiful heart.

“What about us? We both agreed we felt something but didn’t want to put a label on it.”

Ever since they had decided to make love, Nicole had been imagining a world where her and Waverly were together, out and accepted. She shook her head, angry with herself for getting carried away. Sitting up, she reached for her T-shirt, feeling horribly exposed as her heart cracked. “Maybe I do want to put a label on what we have.”

“Really?” Waverly scoffed. “How’s Harry, Nicole? Are you two still dating?”

Nicole felt stupid and small then. Here she was acting like the wronged party, put out by her non-girlfriend being asked out, and she had no right. Not when she was still toeing the straight line. “Good. I guess. And yeah, we’re still dating.”

“Then you can’t act like I’ve wronged you just by thinking about going out with Champ.”

“The only reason I’m with Harry is because you refuse to tell anyone about us! I would break up with him in a heartbeat if you said you wanted to be with me.”

The mood had shifted away from one of intimacy to a tense stand-off. Neither of them really wanted to talk about this, both conflicted about emotions that were all so new to them.

“Is everything not all right between you and Harry?”

Harry was a Neanderthal. “Everything he says and does irritates me. He’s such a boy-man at times it…it’s the worst!”

“Why are you dating him then?” The question was asked with genuine curiosity.

Nicole gave it some serious thought before finally shrugging. “I don’t know. He asked.”

Waverly looked at the redhead incredulously. “That’s it? He asked so you said yes.”

Nicole nodded. She had only agreed because everyone had told her how lucky she was to be asked, how Harry could have asked out anyone but had chosen her. It was expected of her to date boys. It was normal for someone her age to go out with nice, handsome boys. Not wanting to deal with her inner confusing feelings for her best friend’s baby sister, Nicole had agreed and just gone with it.

Discovering real love with Waverly, feeling things she had never felt with Harry, Nicole was now doubting her choice. She was doubting a lot of things. “I’m thinking about breaking up with her,” she confessed.

“Really?”

“Uh-huh.” She was distracted by Waverly playing with her fingers. It gave her butterflies in her belly. Something that had never happened with Harry.

“Because you’re going to be leaving for college soon?”

Turning on her side so she could look at Waverly, she watched as the other girl also turned so they were face-to-face. They were so close she could feel the warm puffs of Waverly’s breath on her face, could smell the perfume she had lightly sprayed on, her shampoo. She imagined getting to wake up like this every morning and decided she liked the idea.

“Partly. But...” Nicole exhaled, not sure how much she wanted to share.

“But what?”

Nicole decided she should just jump right in. Why not? She was growing more and more sure of what she wanted, who she wanted, day after day. “But mostly because he’s not you,” she confessed. “This summer with you has made me realise what was missing in my relationship with him. I’ve realised it’s you. I want you, Waverly.”

She grew in confidence as the words spilled free, a weight being lifted from her shoulders. “I want to label us as girlfriends. I want to date you, go out in public with you, tell the whole stupid town that I love you.” She was grinning big and bright now even as she watched the plethora of emotions skimming across Waverly’s features.

“You’re not gay. You can’t be gay; you have a boyfriend.”

“Waverly, that’s—” Nicole shook her head, not wanting to start a discussion on why that logic didn’t work. “I’ve done a lot of thinking lately and maybe I’m not so straight.”

Waverly shifted away. “So, you’re saying you’re… gay?”

“I’m still really confused about...” Nicole laughed nervously. “Everything! I’m confused about everything. But one thing I do know is that when I’m around you, the world makes sense. When we’re together like this,” she waved a hand between them, “it feels right, Waves.”

“It could be a phase though, right? These feelings we’re having. Girls practise kissing with each other all the time.”

“We’ve done more than kissing.” Nicole didn’t like how wide and panicked Waverly’s eyes were. It didn’t bode well.

“What if you come out and a month from now you realise you’ve made a mistake. Everyone will hate you, Nicole. Shun you, treat you differently. You know what people in Purgatory are like. They don’t like different. They don’t like change!”

“I’m not scared,” Nicole decided. “This is me and if they can’t accept that then that’s their problem. I want to be happy. Life is too short to pamper to what everyone around me wants and expects.” She smiled at Waverly. “I want to love and be loved. I want you, Waverly. You make my world a little brighter. A lot brighter.”

“I…I...” Waverly shook her head. “I like what we’ve been doing, Nicole,” she said softly. “But I don’t know if it’s what I really want though. For the rest of my life. I mean, when Champ asked me out, I was—”

Nicole was hurt beyond belief. She had thought this meant something. It had meant something to her. It meant a lot to her. “You’re so concerned about what others think of you.” She shook her head. “You can’t live like that, Waves. You have to be you, you have to love who you want to love, do what will make you happy.”

“It’s not that simple!” Waverly interrupted. “You have no idea how people are towards my family.”

Nicole was aware of how some people in Purgatory were towards the Earps. She had heard more than a few whispers of “cursed” while in town, had been told she shouldn’t socialise with the Earp girls. “So, you want to pretend to be someone you’re not to fit in?”

“Who said I was pretending? I… I like Champ.”

“You hate Champ.”

“I could like Champ,” Waverly argued. “We’ve grown up together.”

“We’ve grown up together!”

“We know each other.”

“We know each other. Intimately!” Nicole exclaimed in frustration.

“All right, sure, he still has moments of immaturity.”

“Moments?” Nicole asked incredulously. “That last day of school he—”

Waverly shook her head. “I’m not gay. I’m sorry, Nicole. This… this is just a summer fling. I’m upset with Wynonna for disappearing without a word, I’m scared about school starting again, about the expectations people have about me, about trying to avoid Willa as much as possible! There’s a million and one things I’m dealing with right now!”

“Hey!” Nicole soothed, resigned to the fact they weren’t on the same page right now. Might not ever be. She adored Waverly and if all she could ever have was friendship, she’d take it. “Hey, it’s okay.” Reaching out to take Waverly’s hand, she bit back her hurt when Waverly moved out of reach. “Waverly, I would never ask you to be someone you’re not.”

“Good. Don’t ask me to be anyone at all,” Waverly stubbornly replied.

“Fine.”

“Fine.” She looked at Nicole. “Well… maybe just… friends.”

Frustrated with the whole situation, her heart aching from rejection, and breaking from the realisation this was the end for them, Nicole sighed heavily. “Sure, Waves. Whatever you want.” She shifted to climb out of the truck. “I should get you home. It’s getting late.”

“Are you at the hospital tomorrow?” Nicole asked Shea as they tidied up after their meal.

“Yeah. I offered to go in because I assumed you’d be working.”

Nicole nodded. “I’m still trying to get to grips with everything.”

“Me too,” Shea smiled. “I’ve been introduced to so many new people and I can’t remember a single name.”

“You’ll learn them all eventually. Then I’ll have to hear all about them and the ins and outs of their lives.” Nicole laughed out loud as Shea poked her in the sides. “You know I’m right.”

“Maybe I won’t tell you. Maybe I’ll leave you guessing,” Shea teased.

“You’ll tell me. I learnt all about your class mates in college, all about the nurses and junior doctors in the city. It’s only a matter of time before you fill me in on who you meet in Purgatory and ask that I look them up to make sure they aren’t crazy people.”

“I’ve never done that!” Seeing the look Nicole shot at her, Shea conceded. “Okay, one time I did that.”

“And you grassed on poor old Doctor Smarmy.”

“I didn’t grass,” Shea protested. “I merely suggested that you should look into him for unpaid speeding fines, because I suspected he had a few. And I was right, right?”

“So, you did grass?” Nicole teased.

“He had it coming!” Shea laughed. Throwing the last of their empty food cartons out, she turned and wrapped her arms around her wife. This had been a good evening, they had talked and laughed like old times. Maybe moving to Purgatory wasn’t such a bad thing after all. “How about we forget the unpacking for tonight and go to bed?”

Nicole got the hint but wasn’t in the mood. Not after seeing Waverly and finding her old photo album and being reminded of her past. “I’m actually really tired. What with trying to adjust, unpacking, the walk around town today, I could really use a good night’s sleep.”

Her disappointment showed but Shea pasted on a smile. “I understand.”

“Thanks, babe.” Pressing a kiss to Shea’s forehead, Nicole moved past her and headed for the stairs. “It’ll be different once we’re settled and in a routine.”

Watching her wife head upstairs, Shea wasn’t so sure that was true.

Standing at the sink staring at her reflection in the bathroom cabinet, Nicole sighed heavily and silently scolded herself for having thoughts about a woman who wasn’t her wife, thoughts about a married woman who had rejected her years before. But Waverly was Waverly, the girl she had always felt was her one and seeing her today, beautiful as ever, with hair for days and eyes that said so much, Nicole couldn’t help but dwell on what might have been.

Thinking about their last time together still made her heart ache, the bitterness she had felt from being so happy and having it snatched away, all her dreams of a future for them disintegrating all in one night. Waverly had been right though, people would have judged them, shunned them, treated them differently. She had experienced that for herself.

The drive to the McCready house was unusually silent, both girls lost in their own thoughts as they stared out the wind-shield. Usually Waverly would be talking excitedly while holding Nicole’s hand, liking there to be contact between them for as long as they could have it. Nicole hated the sudden gulf between them, hated the fact that she couldn’t see a way back from their falling out. They both wanted different things.

Pulling up outside the McCready house, Nicole didn’t turn the engine off like she usually did. She sat staring stubbornly ahead, not acknowledging Waverly even as the younger girl looked her way with desperate eyes.

With a hand on the handle, Waverly exhaled heavily. “Nicole—”

“We’re done, Waverly.” She meant for that night, unable to face another argument with the girl she loved. She heard the sharp intake of breath from Waverly but did nothing to reassure her.

“Bye then.” Waverly waited a moment but got nothing back. As tears built up and blurred her vision, she slipped out of the truck.

Usually Nicole would wait until Waverly was safely inside before leaving. Tonight, she was already reversing by the time Waverly reached the porch. Back on the road, tears in her eyes and her chest aching, she didn’t feel like going home yet. She didn’t have a curfew, her parents had never seen fit to set one. It had always come down to Nicole’s judgement on right and wrong. And tonight she wanted to drink and forget.

Roy Orbison’s “Crying” had her scowling at the radio and she slapped at the on/off button to turn it off, the song hitting a nerve.

She found herself at the caravan park where she knew a lot of the teenagers hung out and drank. Robert Svane ran the place and kept order when it suited him. Parking, Nicole spotted Mercedes Gardner dancing with Skip and Pete Yorke, a can of something in her hand. Some of the ice hockey players were sitting around in white plastic chairs, trying to play it cool as they eyed the girls dancing. And Willa Earp. Willa was seated on Robert’s lap.

Fighting the urge to just drive away, Nicole got out of her truck and walked to one of the coolers, waving at Mercedes as she went past.

“What are you doing here?” Willa called out, instantly on her.

Voices went quiet and all eyes turned their way, eager to see what was occurring.

“It’s public space, Willa. There’s nothing that says I can’t be here,” Nicole replied, eyes on the cooler as she rifled through it looking for something she liked.

Willa looked to Robert, expecting him to jump in.

He shrugged at his girlfriend. “She has a point.”

Scowling, Willa’s gaze returned to Nicole. “Usually you’re perving on my sister. Has Waverly seen sense and ditched you from her life?”

Nicole heard the stifled sniggering but ignored it. Grabbing a beer, she stood up straight as the cooler lid thunked shut and turned to Willa. “I don’t perv on your sister.”

“You’re always around. Find one, you find the other.”

“This might be a foreign concept to you, Willa, but we’re friends. Friends hang out.”

“And here I thought you were Wynonna’s friend.”

“I’m both of their friends. You, I can do without.”

The barb got a laugh from their watching audience.

Having heard enough and not wanting things to get out of hand, Robert patted his girlfriend’s knee. “Now, Willa, let’s try to all get along. There are worst people who could be hanging around Waverly than Red.”

“It’s not your baby sister the town perv is hanging around with,” Willa snapped.

“I have a boyfriend,” Nicole blurted out. “Has everyone conveniently forgotten that so I fit the gossip?”

“Where is he tonight?” Willa asked smugly.

“I wouldn’t bring him here, would I? The town is trying to keep it on the down-low how crazy you are.”

Willa jumped to her feet, fury blazing in her eyes. “You—!”

Robert stood up and took Willa’s hand, an amused smile curling his lips. “Let’s dance, hmm?”

Willa allowed him to lead her to some space and fell into his arms, still glaring at Nicole as he moved them around slowly to a fast beat track.

Nicole shook her head. They were both crazy. They deserved each other.

Dancing her way over, Mercedes hip-checked Nicole with a smile. “Good for you. Someone needed to put Willa in her place.” She offered up her can and Nicole obligingly tapped her own against it.

“I’m just sick of all the gossip in this damn town. Do people really have nothing better to do?”

Mercedes shrugged. “Gay, straight, or alien, I like you just fine.”

Nicole snorted. “Thanks.”

“Any word from Wynonna?”

Other than herself, Wynonna’s only other real friend was Mercedes. “I thought she would have clued you in, what with you two being so close.” She wiggled her eyebrows.

“Hey, Haught, trying your luck with Mercedes now?” Bryce Collins, one of the ice hockey players asked loud enough to get everyone’s attention. “Better watch out, Mercedes, these gays are sneaky. Before you know it she’ll have you on your back.”

“Well, at least Nicole will show me a better time than what you would, B-train,” Mercedes replied with a wiggle of her little finger, earning hoots and laughter from the crowd.

As Bryce retreated, Nicole handed her barely touched beer to Mercedes. “I’m gonna go. The more drunk they get, the more unbearable they are. You going to be okay here?”

“Why, Nicole Haught, are you concerned for my well-being?”

“Me? No way.”

Mercedes smiled and nudged against her fellow redhead. “I’ll be fine. It’s not me they have a problem with.” She sniffed, catching the aroma of a familiar perfume. “Wy mentioned something about the open road, I assume she meant she was going to hitch-hike. But, like you said, summer ‘s nearly over so she’ll no doubt return any day now.”

“I’m not worried. It just upsets Waverly.”

“How is the nicest girl in Purgatory?”

Nicole shifted, uncomfortable talking about Waverly now that people were gossiping. “Why ask me?”

“I’ve heard that you two have been hanging out a lot.” Mercedes watched Nicole fidget. “I’m not judging in any way, shape, or form, Nicole. It was a simple question asked by her sister’s friend.”

“Like I said, she’s upset Wynonna took off. Anyway, see you.” With a wave, Nicole headed to her truck, Waverly Earp back on her mind despite her best efforts to forget her.

All her old feelings were still there despite the years away. She shook her head, angry with herself. She was a married woman and she and Shea were trying to make their marriage work. Picking up her toothbrush, she got on with the chore of brushing her teeth.

If she was being completely honest with herself, this whole returning to Purgatory thing had got her thinking that maybe it was fate throwing her and Waverly a lifeline, that maybe she would get back and Waverly would be divorced and— Nicole sighed heavily. She was supposed to be trying to save her marriage.

“And she’s still married to the town idiot.”

“Did you say something, babe?”

Startled by Shea’s voice, Nicole whipped around expecting to find her wife behind her. The bathroom door was still closed and she was still alone, Shea apparently out in the hallway. “Just talking to myself. Nothing important.”

“Are you done? Can I come in and brush my teeth?”

Taking a step forward, Nicole pulled the door open. “It wasn’t locked.”

“We all like our privacy sometimes.” Moving past the redhead, Shea picked up her toothbrush and the paste. “Once we’ve finished all the unpacking, maybe we can take some time to wander around town together. I’d love for you to show me around properly.”

“Sounds like a plan, babe.”

“And I’d love to meet Waverly.”

It was said casually but Nicole detected something in Shea’s voice she couldn’t put her finger on. She studied her wife’s face, looking for a sign that there was more to it than friendliness.

“I’ve heard so much about her from you, I feel like I already know her. May as well make an official introduction.”

“Sure. You’ll love her. Everyone does.” With a strained smile, Nicole left the bathroom even more conflicted than she had been. She had the sinking feeling that her wife meeting her ex would only end in tears. Whose, she couldn’t say.


	4. Chapter 4

**I** t was a bright morning in early spring, the sky a gorgeous blue without a cloud in sight. The temperature had crept up slightly but not enough to stop wearing gloves and a jacket when venturing out.

Shea Haught was leaning against the kitchen counter, a hot mug of coffee cradled in her hands, watching her wife trying to figure out how their new coffee machine worked. “Chrissy Nedley asked me out for coffee.”

Nicole blinked, thrown by the statement. “Why?”

“I don’t know. Maybe because her dad is your boss, maybe because I’m new in town and don’t really know anyone, or maybe she’s thinking of moving to the city and wants all the gossip about it.”

“I thought you were working at the hospital today?”

“I am, but not until this afternoon. Does it bother you that she asked me out for coffee?”

Nicole shook her head. “No. I just didn’t realise you two were in touch.”

“We’re not. This is the first time I’ve heard from her since her and the sheriff welcomed us to town. I guess she was giving us some space to move in and get settled.”

“So, you’re going then?”

“Any reason I shouldn’t?”

“Not at all. Chrissy’s one of the good ones.” Nicole’s attention returned to making her morning coffee briefly before a thought occurred to her. “Uh, don’t mention my past with Waverly. She doesn’t know. Nobody knew.” She glanced over her shoulder at her wife. “I’d hate to put Waverly in an uncomfortable situation when it can be avoided.”

“Why would I mention your past with Waverly?”

“Chrissy is Waverly’s best friend. I have a feeling Waves will come up in conversation.”

“Waves?”

Definitely hearing something in Shea’s tone that was less than pleased, Nicole turned around to face her wife. “It’s a nickname.”

“A nickname is for friends. I didn’t realise you and Waverly had grown close again.”

“We haven’t. I’ve barely seen her in the last three weeks. In fact, she made it very clear she didn’t want us to be friends.”

“You seem upset about that.” 

Nicole threw her hands up in the air in frustration. “Why are you trying to start an argument, Shea?”

“I’m not. You just never talk about your past here or with Waverly. I have to fight for every scrap of information.”

“We dated briefly, we broke up, now we’re both married to other people. What more do you need to know?” Nicole waited for an answer, maybe an explanation, watching Shea stare at her. “This is because I won’t tell you why I left and never came back, isn’t it?”

“There’s a lot you won’t tell me,” Shea muttered. “I’m supposed to be your wife.”

“Fine! You want to know, I’ll tell you!” She needed her morning coffee. She was completely irrational before she had her morning cup. “She’s the love of my life. I thought she was my one, turns out I was wrong. She’s not gay. What happened between us, according to her, was just an experiment. For the love of God, will you please make me a cup of coffee!”

Moving across the kitchen to the coffee machine, Shea pressed a couple of buttons and filled a mug, avoiding looking at Nicole as she did so.

With a steaming mug in hand, Nicole calmed down. “Despite us being really careful around each other, apparently some people in town saw enough to determine that I was gay and I was cautioned to leave Waverly alone to be normal. So, I left Purgatory and I didn’t come back because I had no reason to.”

“Is the love of your life?” Shea asked softly.

Nicole blinked, trying to recall what she had blurted out. “Was. She was the love of my life, or at least I thought so.” Brown eyes bore into Shea. “I know our marriage isn’t perfect, but I am trying here. It would be nice if you would do the same.”

“You don’t think I’m trying?” Shea asked, incredulous. “I packed up my whole life and followed you here, Nicole. What more would you have me do?”

Exhaling heavily, Nicole gulped down half her coffee. She had to get to work, she didn’t have time to run around in circles arguing over the same things. Surely, a marriage shouldn’t be this hard, she thought. Pouring fresh coffee into her travel mug, she turned around to face her wife again. “I’ll probably be working late tonight, so eat dinner without me.”

*** * * * ***

The call out to Earp land was a surprise to Nicole and she wasn’t sure what to expect. The Earp girls had abandoned the land when they had moved in with their Aunt Gus and Uncle Curtis. Asking Nedley, he informed her Willa had moved back to the homestead, but was currently out of town. She briefly wondered where Waverly was living these days, then put the younger woman out of her mind.

Without saying too much, Sheriff Nedley asked Nicole to follow him out to the scene. She wasn’t sure why they hadn’t taken the one patrol car as she squinted through the dirt his car was kicking up. As he was her boss, her new boss, she hadn’t questioned it.

Parking behind his car, Nicole undid her seatbelt and took a deep breath before climbing out of her own car. She had never dealt with a dead body before and she was both excited and terrified of what they might find. “Do we know where we’re going, Sheriff?” Earp land was vast and they could be walking around for hours if they didn’t have an exact location.

“Champ said the body was in this field,” Randy Nedley told her.

“Champ? As in Champ Hardy?”

Nedley nodded. “One in the same.”

“I heard he was out of town on the rodeo tour.”

“You take left, I’ll go right. Holler if you find anything.”

Looking around, Nicole didn’t see or hear any signs of life. “You don’t think Champ stuck around until we got here?”

“Knowing Champ, probably not.” His moustache twitched as he eyed her. “This is your first dead body call out?”

Nicole nodded, hoping she didn’t look queasy. “Yes, Sir.”

“Might not be a body. I once discovered a headless mannequin tied to a tree. Damn frat boys.” He walked off, still muttering.

Nicole set off, her thoughts a jumble rather than calm and clear like she had been trained. She thought about the potential body, wondering who it could be and what could have been the cause of death. She thought about Champ being back in town, back home with Waverly. She hadn’t seen much of Waverly over the past three weeks, she had been busy settling back into life in Purgatory, but she had hoped to find some time to try and fix things between them, even if Waverly had made it clear she wanted nothing to do with her.

Walking through the long grass, Nicole wasn’t sure if she wanted to make the discovery or not. If it was a mannequin she could laugh the whole experience off, but if it was an actual body she wasn’t sure how she would react. She wondered if it was murder, murder cases were a big in the police business. Maybe it was a natural death, or maybe one found at the jaws of coyotes. She wondered why Champ was out here, then figured he had more right than she did to be on Earp land.

Palm of her hand being tickled by the tops of the long grass, she thought back to the last time she had been out here, a pang in her chest reminding her it still hurt.

She had been traipsing through the field for at least half an hour, her skin growing irritated by the long grass, and time spent swatting away at small insects that got too close, when the sheriff called out for her attention. Looking in the direction he had wandered off, she spotted him waving his hat and made her way towards him.

“What do we have, Sheriff? A real body or a mannequin?” Her eyes widened as she looked at a headless torso, exposed spinal cord and bloody flesh attracting bluebottles. “Jesus!” She felt her belly flip-flop unpleasantly.

“My thoughts also,” Randy replied. “It’s Curtis McCready.”

She looked at him in surprise. “How do you know?”

“Head’s over there.”

He pointed and she looked. She wasn’t sure why she looked, but she did and she instantly wished she hadn’t. “Who would do something like this?” she muttered, mouth going very dry. “Everyone loved Curtis.”

“Apparently not everyone.”

Nicole thought of Waverly, of how devastated Waverly was going to be by this. “Do you think this ties in with what happened to Ward Earp?”

Randy frowned at his young deputy. “Ward died years ago.”

“But he was murdered,” Nicole replied. “Also out here on Earp land.”

“Ward was shot. This is completely different.” Blue eyes dropped to the headless torso, Randy frowning in deep concern. The theory wasn’t something he had considered. But what if it was all connected? “Go and radio the station. Tell Lonnie to send out the coroner to collect the… Curtis.”

“Then should I go and inform Gus?”

“I have a sinking feeling Champ will have beaten us to it. We’ll head to the McCready house once the body has been retrieved. Call it in then take a look around.”

“For evidence?”

“A signed confession would be nice,” he sighed. He took off his Stetson and mopped his brow. “But look for footprints, dropped cigarette butts, that sort of thing.”

They waited half an hour for the coroner’s van, then another half an hour for the two guys to load up the body and head. In that time, Nicole had searched the entire field and found nothing that could be deemed a clue other than the large patch of blood-soaked dirt where the decapitation had taken place and some footprints, which could belong to the killer or Champ.

Nedley had her seal off the scene with some police tape, then they took a drive out to the McCready house, Nicole hoping the whole way there that Champ hadn’t been stupid enough to rush over and blurt out the news in the most insensitive way imaginable.

Unfortunately, that was exactly what he had done.

By the time the two officers parked outside the house, Gus was on her porch, body set stiffly, eyes shining with tears. “It’s true then?” she directed at Nedley.

He removed his hat and nodded solemnly. “I’m afraid so, Gus.”

“What happened? Champ’s a blubbering mess, we couldn’t get much sense out of him.” She folded her arms, her hands trembling. “Waverly tried to calm him down with a glass of the good whiskey.”

“Perhaps we should go inside,” Randy suggested.

Gus gave a single nod and turned to retreat inside, only to pause, her gaze settling on Nicole. “Nicole,” she acknowledged.

“Mrs. McCready.” It was a professional acknowledgement.

While Nedley headed inside to fill the family in on what he knew so far, Nicole lingered outside, her thoughts drifting to the last time she had stood here and exchanged words with Gus McCready.

Parking outside the McCready house, Nicole eyed the property as she undid her seatbelt. She was so used to pulling up and spotting Waverly on the porch waiting for her arrival, that to not see her there waiting was disconcerting. Admittedly, things hadn’t been right between them since they had last been together, a wedge well and truly placed between them.

Nicole had grown used to seeing Waverly regularly since Wynonna had left them behind, was used to talking to her on the phone at least twice a day and texting on and off when they weren’t with each other.

A week of no contact, a week of no daily conversations with the bright and bubbly girl had Nicole feeling out of sorts and miserable and she was determined to fix things before she had to leave town, because she couldn’t imagine her life without Waverly in it.

Having to get out and go knock on the McCready front door, Nicole sent a silent prayer up to any gods that may be listening that Willa didn’t open the door. There was something about the eldest Earp sibling that put her on edge and it wasn’t just because she had heard all about the horrible things she did to Waverly.

Knocking loud enough to be heard from anywhere inside, Nicole stepped back and shifted her weight from one foot to the other as she waited for a response. As the front door swung open, she smiled. “Hi, Mrs. McCready.”

“How many time do I have to tell you to call me Gus?”

Nicole shrugged. “You know me, I like to be polite.”

“It would be polite to call me Gus.” It was an ongoing argument between the pair. A friendly argument which always ended with them smiling. “Mrs. McCready is my mother-in-law.”

“Is Waverly here?”

A frown quickly settled on the older woman’s feature. “You two forget to call each other?”

“No. No, we… well, we had a… not an argument, but a...” Nicole tried to sum up what it had been and couldn’t decide. “A falling out. And we haven’t really spoken this week. But it’s Wednesday now and we usually go and catch a movie on Wednesdays, so I just thought I’d...” she exhaled, feeling stupid for assuming, “...come by and see if Waverly wanted to come out.”

“She’s not here. Champ came and picked her up, along with that Stephanie girl she sometimes likes but most days hates.”

Nicole shook her head in disagreement. “Oh, no, Waverly could never hate anyone. Not even Stephanie Jones. It’s not in her.”

The door screen screeched as Gus stepped out of her home and onto the front porch. With a serious look on her face, she eyed the tall teen. “Look, you’re a good kid, Nicole. I’ve always thought so. And you’ve been a good friend to two of my nieces. But you know what people in this town are like, they gossip, and all the gossip lately has been about you and my Waverly.”

Nicole’s heart was thundering in her chest. Had someone seen them together? “Mrs. McCready—”

“Waverly is a good girl. The best of us. Everyone loves her. I would hate for her life here to be ruined by idle gossip. With you leaving for college soon, she’ll be left here to deal with the fallout of these…rumours. And that wouldn’t be right, would it?”

“No, we—” Nicole shook her head, unable to get herself thinking properly. Her cheeks felt warm and she knew she was blushing. “We’re friends. We hang out a lot because… because we’re friends and Wynonna’s disappeared on us.”

“Maybe it would be best if you gave Waverly some space to be friends with other people. There’s nothing wrong with being…” Gus hesitated, “...different. I just don’t think Waverly is ready for… that. She’s always so keen to be liked by everyone, to be nice to everyone, she doesn’t want to disappoint people. I suppose it might have something to do with her childhood. Michelle doted on her, then one day up and left, leaving her with Ward who barely paid her any attention.”

“I’m not… I’m not gay,” Nicole stuttered. Now she was being confronted about her sexuality she wasn’t so sure she wanted the world to know her feelings. She realised in that moment she wasn’t ready to come out and declare that she was gay. “I have a boyfriend, and Waverly… Champ asked Waverly out.”

Features softening as she looked at the wide-eyed, panic-stricken teenager, Gus smiled kindly. “I’m not blind, Nicole. I’ve seen the way you two look at each other. The way you are with each other. If I’ve noticed, others will have also. You’re leaving soon but she’ll still be here with the same old gossips who have nothing better to do than put her down for being an Earp. Give her a chance at a normal life. She has worked so hard to fit in, to get people to like her for her despite the Earp surname, despite her sisters, despite the family history.”

Swallowing hard, Nicole felt as if she had been kicked in the guts. Had Waverly said something to Gus? They had been so careful, at least Nicole thought they had. Maybe Waverly had been serious when she said it was just a fling. Maybe she was bored with exploring their feelings for each other and had asked Gus to get rid of Nicole with the least amount of fuss. Whatever it was, Nicole got the message. She would leave for school and not come back. If Waverly wanted a normal life, Nicole would leave her to it.

Waverly stepped out of the McCready house with her arms wrapped around her torso, eyes red and shining with tears, and Nicole’s breath caught in her chest because Waverly was still the most beautiful woman she had ever seen.

“Hi,” Waverly greeted softly as she perched against Nicole’s patrol car, a respectable amount of space between them.

“I’m so sorry, Waves,” Nicole breathed. She had loved Curtis as much as everyone and knew without a shadow of a doubt that he would be greatly missed.

“Champ was late,” Waverly sniffed. “Curtis asked Champ to go out and give him a hand today and Champ was late because he was out drinking last night and overslept this morning.”

Nicole fought the urge to reach for Waverly, fought the urge to wrap the smaller woman in an embrace and tell her everything was going to be okay. It wasn’t her place to offer that sort of comfort. Not any more.

“I suppose I should be grateful Champ wasn’t on time.” She didn’t sound grateful. She sounded heart sick.

“I doubt there was anything Champ could have done.”

Eyes that had been full of sorrow now flashed with fire. “He could have helped Uncle Curtis put up a fight!”

“Waves—”

“Stop calling me that! We’re not friends, Nicole,” Waverly snapped, springing away from the car and whipping around to glare at the taller woman. “You don’t get to move back to town and carry on as if you’ve never been away, as if you didn’t stay away and not even visit! Things have changed. I’ve changed.”

“I’m know. I’m sorry,” Nicole placated. “It’s a habit. You’ve always been Waves to me.”

“Well, now it’s Waverly.”

“Okay. You’re right.” Nicole put her hands up in a show of surrender. They stood staring at each other. A Mexican stand-off, tension and awkwardness bubbling in the air between them, neither sure how to proceed. Nicole decided it would be best to focus on work. “Do you know why Curtis was out there?”

“Treasure,” Waverly sighed, the fight leaving her. “He said the land held many secrets of days gone by and was always out there searching.”

“Did he ever find anything worth killing over?”

“Mainly old bullets rusted to almost nothing. I think he once found an arrow head, but that wasn’t worth a whole lot.”

“And why had he asked Champ to accompany him today?”

Waverly really didn’t want to talk about her useless husband, not with Nicole who was so secure in who she was and what she did for a living. But this was a murder investigation, her uncle’s murder investigation, and she wanted to help catch whoever had done it. “I think Uncle Curtis was doing me a favour,” she said finally. “Champ isn’t the greatest bull rider on the circuit and money is… always an issue. Curtis sometimes throws some work Champ’s way when he’s in town.”

Brown eyes caught movement over Waverly's shoulder, Nicole watching Champ emerging from the McCready house and scowling in her direction. She schooled her features as she watched him swagger over to them and wrap a beefy arm around Waverly’s delicate shoulders, a lot more tattoos coating it than the last time she’d seen him.

“I didn’t know you were back in town. Last I heard, you skipped out with your tail between your legs.” He eyed Nicole from head to foot, taking in the uniform she wore. “You’re a deputy?”

“Yes, I am.” Nicole was proud of herself for not punching him in the smug face.

“Nedley and his feminism bullshit,” he sniffed. “Guess that’s why he wouldn’t give me the job. He wanted a woman so he could tick the box.”

“You failed the preliminary exam, Champ,” Waverly muttered. She felt uncomfortable with his arm draped heavily around her, irked with his show of possessiveness and annoyed with Nicole for looking so good in uniform. “It had nothing to do with feminism.”

“Blah, blah, blah, yeah, whatever,” he dismissed. Sloppily kissing her cheek, he gave a gentle tug to her shoulder. “Let’s go inside, babe. Gus probably needs you or something.”

“Do you know what Curtis was doing out on Earp land today, Champ?” Nicole asked. “Had he mentioned anything specific?”

Champ shrugged. “He was always out there digging up holes. Most days he found nothing but dirt.”

“Waverly mentioned you were late getting out there. When you arrived, did you notice anyone hanging around, see anything unusual?”

“Nedley already asked me all this. Aren’t you just the coffee collector?”

Sheriff Nedley stepped out of the McCready house, eyes immediately on the trio. He didn’t look too concerned as he walked towards them, despite knowing of Nicole’s dislike for Champ. She was a good cop, he was certain she had been nothing but professional. “How long are you in town for, Champ?”

“Two more days. I’ve got to head out to Nebraska before the twenty-seventh.” He scowled at Nedley. “Why? I’m not a suspect, right? I wasn’t even there. Waverly will tell you.”

“We might have some more questions for you, depending on what we discover.” Putting his hat back on, Nedley looked at Waverly, nothing but sympathy in his blue eyes. “You need anything, Waverly, don’t hesitate to call. I know Chrissy will no doubt come by later once word spreads, but if you have any questions, I’m sure myself or Nicole will be happy to answer them if we can.”

“Thanks, Sheriff.”

Wanting to say something but not knowing what, wanting to hug the smaller woman but not daring to, Nicole shyly waved goodbye before climbing into her police cruiser. She stored away the information that Champ was leaving town again, vowing to check in on Waverly once he was gone and not hanging all over her. Losing Curtis would hit her hard once it had sunk in.

Watching the two police cruisers head away from the McCready house, Champ spat into the dirt like he had tasted something foul. “I don’t like her. Something about her rubs me the wrong way.” He shook his head.

“She’s fine. Nice. She’s—” Waverly eyes filled with tears as long buried hurt rose to the surface.

“Oh, baby.” He wrapped her tightly in his arms and planted numerous wet kisses all over her cheek. “Baby, baby, baby, it’s okay. I’m here. I’m okay. I promise we’ll always be together.”

That made her feel even worse.

*** * * * ***

Climbing out of her car, Chrissy Nedley hurried up the steps of the McCready porch to embrace her smaller best friend. “Oh, Waves, I’m so sorry. I came as soon as I heard.”

“Thanks, Chris.” Patting her friend’s back, Waverly stepped out of the embrace. “Do you want to come in for some tea?”

“I don’t want to intrude.”

“I wouldn’t have offered if you weren’t welcome,” Waverly smiled.

“Okay, sure.” Chrissy followed Waverly inside and to the kitchen.

“I guess the gossips are working overtime if news has already reached town.”

“You know what people are like in Purgatory.” Chrissy took a seat at the kitchen table while Waverly busied herself putting the kettle on. “And murder is big news.”

“Your dad came to tell us everything he knows so far.”

“Which is what?”

“Not a lot.” Dropping sugar and a tea bag into each mug, Waverly turned around to face her friend. “I don’t think they have any idea where to start looking for his killer. I mean, who can blame them, right? Who could want Curtis dead?”

“I don’t know, hon. What I do know is that if my dad and Nicole are on the case, you can bet that you’ll get answers sooner or later. Dad told me he thinks very highly of Deputy Haught. She’s got a nose for the business.”

“Mm.” Waverly folded her arms, not sure how she felt about talking of Nicole. As the kettle whistled, she turned to pour the boiling water into their waiting mugs.

Sensing the sudden tension, Chrissy watched her best friend for a minute, then another, before confessing, “I had coffee with Nicole’s wife this morning.”

Waverly went very stiff for a moment before swiftly regaining her composure. Water poured, she turned to look at Chrissy. “What’s she like?”

“Nice. Genuinely nice.”

“Makes sense that Nicole would marry someone nice.” Waverly smiled weakly, not entirely sure how she felt about knowing Nicole’s wife was nice and socialising with her best friend. In truth, she hadn’t really given the woman any thought. “What did you two talk about?”

“This and that. Mainly about how they’re settling in to life in Purgatory after living in the big city. Beth sold them the old Welch place.”

Waverly decided this was the last thing she wanted to talk about. If Chrissy told her that they were blissfully happy, she feared she might scream.

“Apparently Nicole has promised to show Shea around town when they get some spare time. They’ve been so busy packing, and moving, and unpacking that they haven’t had a chance.” Chrissy waited until Waverly had finished making tea and joined her at the table before continuing. “She… let slip something interesting,” she cautiously ventured.

“They hate it here and have decided to leave?”

“Shea was horrified it slipped out and I can’t lie, it took me completely by surprise, but we were so caught up in just chatting that—”

“Hey, babe,” Champ called out seconds before he appeared. “Oh, hey, Chrissy.”

“Hi, Champ.”

His gaze settled on his wife. “Babe, can you make me a sandwich? I haven’t eaten since breakfast.”

Irritated beyond belief by him and frustrated with Chrissy for not spilling the beans quicker, Waverly scowled at her husband. “Make your own sandwich, Champ. I’m talking to Chrissy.”

“You can talk and make me a sandwich,” he whined. “I’ve watched you pour beer and carry on a whole conversation at Shorty’s. Actually, a beer sounds good. Can you—?”

“Are you serious right now?” Waverly questioned, knowing he was. “My uncle was murdered this morning and you want me to wait on you hand and foot? My uncle who you was supposed to be helping but didn’t because you were hungover.”

Seeing that his wife was really angry, Champ swallowed hard, realising his mistake. “Uh, I’ll just...” he hooked a thumb over his shoulder, “...take Aurora for a walk.”

“Good idea, Champ. She hardly sees you as it is. And so help me God if you take her to Shorty’s!” She watched him retreat before rubbing her forehead, feeling the beginnings of a headache building. “There are days when I wonder what I ever saw in him,” she admitted. She picked up her mug. Tea made everything better.

“Do you wish you had picked Nicole?” Chrissy asked softly.

Waverly’s mug hovered in the air as her hand froze, her eyes going wide. “Wh—what?”

“That’s what Shea accidentally let slip,” Chrissy said. “That you and Nicole used to have a thing.” She reached across the table to take Waverly’s free hand. “I can’t believe you didn’t tell me. I’m your best friend.”

Shaking her head, Waverly set her mug down heavy handedly, a splash of tea spilling over the sides. “She’s wrong. Why would she think that?” She laughed, almost sounding manic. “Where on Earth would she get that idea?”

“Waves, it’s okay.”

“No! No, it’s not okay, Chrissy!” Waverly jumped to her feet and looked around the kitchen, seemingly unsure of what to do next. “Champ was supposed to be out with Curtis,” she announced, completely moving away from the topic of Nicole. “But he got drunk last night and overslept.”

“Oh, Waverly, no wonder you seem so out of sorts!” Standing up, Chrissy embraced the smaller woman. “Thank God for small mercies, eh? I can’t imagine how you’d be if you had lost them both.”

“I can’t help thinking he should have been there. The two of them might have been able to fight off the killer.”

“Or they might have both been killed.”

“Champ could have helped Curtis put up a fight, then maybe no one would have been killed,” Waverly argued.

They fell silent. They could go around in circles with the what ifs and maybes, but the truth was it wouldn’t change anything.

“Will Champ be sticking around? I know he’s usually off on the rodeo tour this time of year, but with a funeral needing to be planned—” She trailed off as Waverly shook her head.

“He’s leaving in a couple of days.”

“Have you spoken to him about delaying?”

“No,” Waverly sighed. “Truthfully, we need the money. If he can win. And besides, he wouldn’t be much help around here anyway. You heard him a minute ago, he expects a maid to wait on him.”

“Well, if you need anyone to watch Aurora while you and Gus sort out funeral arrangements, all you have to do is ask.”

“Thanks, Chrissy. You’re a good friend.”

“The bestest!” Chrissy smiled back.

Waverly moved back to the table and sat down, sighing heavily as she picked up her mug. “There’s so much to think about.”

“Start with the simple things. Have you phoned Wynonna?”

*** * * * ***

After a long day of chasing down potential leads in the McCready case, Nicole slumped back in her chair and exhaled heavily in frustration. They had nothing. They had found no obvious reason for someone killing Curtis, no clue as to who would want him dead, and had no witnesses as to who the murderer was as it had happened way out of town on Earp land.

Nedley had sympathetically told her that was the way it went sometimes, which didn’t improve her mood in the slightest.

Now, she was officially off the clock and should have been heading home, but still she remained at the station, reluctant to face another night with Shea questioning her on everything, or having to listen to Shea trying to start a fight between them.

She liked the station at night, it was quiet and a good time to get any paperwork done. Lonnie had been called out to a public disturbance, leaving Nicole to deal with any calls, if there were any. So far, there hadn’t been. It was a quiet night in Purgatory. She assumed people were spooked by the murder.

It was as she read through her notes once again that a thought occurred to her. Wynonna. Had anyone informed her of her uncle’s death? Did they know how to get in contact with her?

“Hey, Nicole.”

Startled out of her thoughts by the sweetest voice she knew, Nicole looked to the front desk and lay eyes on Waverly. Smiling despite the circumstances, she stood and walked over. “Is everything all right, Waves...erly?” She frowned at how stupid she sounded. “Sorry. Getting used to calling you—”

“Does Nedley have you working twenty-four-seven?” Waverly interrupted, not wanting to rehash the name argument again.

“No?” It was more question than answer, until it came to her what Waverly was getting at. “Oh. Yeah, officially I’m off duty. Lonnie’s on duty if you would rather talk to him?”

Waverly shook her head, eyes on her fingertips running across the top of the front desk, avoiding looking at Nicole. How was it fair that she was so damn beautiful? “Won’t your wife be wondering where you are?”

“Fairly sure she knows where I am,” Nicole smiled, dimples on show and unbeknownst to her, making Waverly’s heart flutter. “If she was worried she would call. But she might not even be home herself.”

“She works nights?”

“Sometimes. She does different shifts at the hospital. It’s a wonder we ever see each other.”

Waverly picked up the bitter undertone to Nicole’s musing. “She’s a nurse?”

“Doctor.”

“Of course,” Waverly muttered. Of course Nicole would marry a doctor. And according to Chrissy, nice as well. She met brown eyes and immediately got lost in them. Like a tsunami, memories of their past flooded back to her. “Right.” She tapped the desk top with her palm, flustered all of a sudden. “Well, I should get going.”

Nicole frowned in confusion. “You came all the way into town at this hour to ask if my wife knows where I am?”

Waverly blinked. “Oh!” She smiled sheepishly. “No, obviously not. That would be dumb.” She shook her head. “I was wondering—” She tried to remember exactly why she had stopped outside the station and ventured in. “Is Champ a suspect?” she blurted out. As good a place as any to start.

“Should he be?” Nicole asked in amusement.

“No. I was just wondering. You know, because Nedley said there might be more questions.”

“Standard operating procedure,” Nicole grinned. “He used you as an alibi though and we all think you’re pretty trustworthy.”

“Good. That’s good. Because, he has to, you know, get back on the rodeo tour. We need the money. If he can actually manage to win another event.” Waverly’s eyes went wide as she realised what she was saying. “And I’m talking too much! Forget I said all that. And that doesn’t make Champ guilty in any way, shape or form. I know you coppers always put murder down to money or revenge and—”

Nicole took Waverly’s hands in both of hers. “And breathe,” she said kindly. “Champ’s not a suspect. And we don’t know what the motive is yet. Curtis hadn’t seemed to have found anything of worth out on your land and no one we’ve questioned has a grudge against him.”

“Had,” Waverly instinctively corrected. “No one had a grudge.”

“Right.” Nicole tried to hide her disappointment as Waverly slid her hands out of her hold. “I wish Champ all the best in Nebraska.” She sounded sincere.

“He does win,” Waverly confessed quietly. “Not a lot, but sometimes. He placed first in his last event.”

Nicole waited but nothing more seemed to be forthcoming. “Was there anything else?” she politely enquired.

“I think that’s everything.” Waverly felt ridiculous. She had left Gus’s house because she needed to get away from Champ. He had returned home with their daughter and done nothing but complain and cling to her for the rest of the day and she had finally had enough, so jumped in her jeep and drove off. She hadn’t had a destination in mind, but upon reaching town, she had seen the police station and felt the urge to see Nicole, to talk to Nicole. Now, she wished the ground would open up and swallow her.

“Do you need a lift home?”

“I drove. Thanks anyway.” She lingered at the desk, racking her brain for something else to say. “Your wife had coffee with Chrissy this morning.”

“I’m aware.”

“She accidentally let slip about our past.”

“Dammit, Shea!” Nicole growled. “I asked her not to mention it. I told her no one knew and that we wanted to keep it that way. I’m sorry, Waverly. I don’t want to cause you any problems.”

Waverly waved off the apology. “It’s fine. It was an accident, according to Chrissy. They were so caught up in chatting that it just slipped out.”

“But still, I cautioned her about it.”

“It’s all ancient history. Right?” She found herself lost in soft brown again.

“Right.”

Waverly blinked rapidly, confused about the effect Nicole had on her even after all these years. “I don’t think Chrissy was all that surprised. More miffed that I hadn’t told her.”

“Well, she’s not Stephanie, so at least it won’t be all over town by tomorrow.”

“Right,” Waverly smiled.

“Do you still see Stephanie? Is she still in town?”

“She’s still in town. Angry and bitter. She married Chad and he ended up going back to his ex. Again.”

“Wow. Inner workings of small town life,” Nicole smiled.

“Chrissy mentioned Beth sold you the old Welch place.”

“Yeah. She’s good at her job, really sold the place to us. I never imagined Beth as a Realtor.”

Waverly smiled. “What did you imagine for her?”

“Honestly, I can’t say I ever really thought about her. I was too busy thinking about you all day long.”

They stood staring at each other, not for the first time, lost in each other’s eyes.

“Well, goodnight then.” With a smile and a quick wiggle of her fingers, Waverly turned to leave, only for something else to pop into her head. “Oh.” She turned around and found Nicole still gazing her way. She smiled knowingly as the deputy’s cheeks turned an adorable shade of red. “It occurred to me this afternoon that someone should probably tell Wynonna about Curtis. Actually, it was Chrissy who mentioned it. I’ve grown so used to Wynonna not being around, it kinda slipped my mind. Then I realised not one of us has a clue how to get in touch with her.”

“Funnily enough, I was just thinking about Wy before you came in. I have an address. I could,” she jerked a thumb over her shoulder in the direction of her desk, “give it to you.”

“Great,” Waverly smiled cheerfully. “That would be great.”

Like an eager puppy keen to please, Nicole walked to her desk and yanked open a drawer. “Let me know when the funeral is. I’d really like to be there.”

“It all depends.”

Nicole looked up from rifling through the drawer. “On?”

“On when Nedley releases the…Uncle Curtis.”

“Right.” Spotting the slip of paper, Nicole grabbed it and slid the drawer closed as she stood up straight. “Call me. If you want to talk. Any time, I don’t mind.”

Waverly smiled. “Not sure how your wife will feel about that.”

Nicole shrugged. “She’ll understand.” Probably. “I uh, I don’t know if that address is still good,” she said as she handed the paper over. “But that’s the last one I have for her.”

“Typical Wynonna.”

“Yeah.” Nicole smiled. “If you can’t reach her, let me know and I’ll make some calls.”

“Thank you.” Waverly looked at Nicole’s neat script. “Goodnight again.”

“Night.” With one last shared smile, Nicole watched Waverly leave and was still staring at the doorway she had passed through long after she had disappeared into the night.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all your comments and kudos, I'm glad you're enjoying this so far. But I feel like someone's missing from this story...

**A** week went by, then another, and the Purgatory police force had no more clues to follow up, no suspect to chase down, nothing more to go on in regards to Curtis McCready’s murder. The case had hit a concrete wall and Nicole was angry and frustrated. Purgatory wasn’t the biggest of towns, she couldn’t understand how the hell there were no leads on the murder of a well-liked citizen.

With nothing more they could do for now, Nedley released the body to the family so a funeral could go ahead.

The day of the service was grey and overcast, fitting for a funeral. The service was short and simple, Gus opting to bury her husband on their land next to his beloved tomatoes. Waverly stood supportively beside her aunt, Champ missing and Wynonna a no-show. After a couple of hours at the McCready house, everyone drove into town to toast Curtis at Shorty’s, his favourite bar.

The mood was sombre, Curtis had been a popular man and the way he had lost his life wasn’t sitting right with many. Teary-eyed, Waverly helped serve drinks, thanking all those who ventured up to offer words of comfort. She felt numb to it all, flashbacks to her childhood tragedy and her father’s funeral in her mind. Champ wasn’t helping matters by constantly draping himself all over her at every chance, clinging to her, kissing her sloppily, treating her like she was a possession of his.

He had ambled into the bar full of apologies and claiming he couldn’t attend because he hated funerals. She had told him through gritted teeth that no one liked a funeral, but you went out of respect.

In truth, he had been a pain in the arse since arriving home at the beginning of the week and she wished he had gone to Arkansas for the PRCA Rodeo event rather than skipping it to be home. She just wanted to grieve in peace. She didn’t want to hear about his bumps and bruises, his insistence that Curtis being murdered was a sign they should have another baby because if Curtis could go anyone of them could be next, his whining that she was ignoring him.

She supposed a better wife would be sympathetic to what he had stumbled across, but Waverly couldn’t find it in herself to comfort him right now.

Despite the current circumstances, Waverly felt her heart lift a little when Nicole strode into Shorty’s and straight over to the bar, her brown eyes full of sorrow and sympathy. Nicole had been working and was still wearing her uniform, but she had made the funeral, unlike Champ.

They hadn’t had much contact since talking at the police station, Waverly too busy helping Gus plan the funeral and going through Curtis’s paperwork, as well as looking after Aurora. They had spoken on the phone a couple of times, Nicole keeping her updated on Curtis’s case and Waverly letting her know the time and place of the funeral.

Alone at night, with no responsibilities to see to and nobody around to judge her, she allowed her thoughts to roam freely as she lay in bed in the dark. Thoughts she often stubbornly shoved back came forth and her heart thawed a little as she thought about how sweet Nicole had been towards her despite her obvious anger. Her anger had subsided as she admitted to herself that her feelings for Nicole weren’t as dead and buried as she had thought. Sure, both of them had moved on and there could be nothing more than friendship between them, but she decided that maybe, just maybe they could be friends.

Nicole covered Waverly’s hands with her own. “I’m so sorry, Waverly,” she murmured, feeling guilty for having found no leads. “Curtis was…he’ll be missed.”

A wobbly smile appeared on Waverly’s lips. “He always liked you, Nicole. He was so pleased you had moved back to Purgatory.”

Nicole squeezed the hands she held. “I am doing everything in my power to—” Her gaze flicked away as Champ appeared behind the younger woman, his tattooed arm looping around her slim shoulders possessively. Recognising it as an act of ownership, Nicole’s jaw clenched as she took a respectful step back, releasing Waverly’s hands.

“We hope you catch whoever did this, Officer,” Champ said in such a way she felt like he was mocking her abilities.

With a nod of her head to him, brown eyes again settled on Waverly. She offered a small smile. “It was a lovely service.”

“Thank you,” Waverly replied, hating Champ a little more for interrupting the moment between them.

“Yeah, thank you,” Champ added, not taking the hint that he was intruding.

“And thank you for coming to the funeral,” Waverly added. “I know you were working today.”

“I wouldn’t have missed it. I’m just sorry we haven’t made any progress with the case yet.”

Wanting to reassure the redhead, Waverly’s hand slid across the bar top, fingertips just brushing the back of Nicole’s hand. “I know you’re doing all you can.” They stared at each other, the air crackling.

“Not enough. They still have no idea who did it,” Champ muttered.

And the moment was over.

Nicole briefly glanced at Champ, so many of the things she wanted to say to him flitting around her head. She bit her tongue. Today was not the day. Looking at Waverly, she smiled. “Can I get a beer?” She looked around Shorty’s and spotted her wife across the room. “And a white wine, please.”

*** * * * ***

An hour later, the doors to Shorty’s swung open and a woman stepped inside and stopped, blue eyes sweeping around the bar. Slowly but surely conversation came to a halt as she was noticed, puzzled looks appearing on many a brow as they tried to work out if the woman was familiar or not. Jean-clad and wearing a heavy leather jacket, she wasn’t exactly dressed for a funeral and everyone in town knew today was Curtis McCready’s funeral.

Spotting her baby sister behind the bar, her man-child of a husband following her around every time she moved, Wynonna Earp rolled her eyes and not for the first time asked herself what Waverly saw in him. Gaze moving on, a genuine smile broke out and lit up her entire face. “Haught-damn!” she exclaimed loudly, now having everyone’s attention. “When the hell did you get back into town?”

Startled from her polite conversation, Nicole looked in the direction of the oh-so-familiar voice and blinked in surprise. “When did you get back?”

Striding straight up to her old friend and invading her personal space, completely ignoring the beautiful dark-haired woman Nicole was with, Wynonna hugged Nicole. “Buy an old friend a drink and I’ll tell you all about it, Haught-dog.”

“Are you ever going to stop with the nicknames?” Nicole sighed, exasperated.

“Never. It keeps me young.”

“Wynonna?” Waverly questioned, walking over and stopping in front of her sister.

Wynonna eyed her younger sister. “Baby girl. Wow, you’ve really...” her hands moved, her gaze shifted, but words failed her, “...grown.”

“That does tend to happen, Wynonna.” Waverly was aware she was no longer the little girl her sister had left behind. She self-consciously folded her arms across her chest. “You got my message then? I spoke to some guy called Georgis who claimed to not know you.”

“Good old Georgis,” Wynonna smiled. “Always has my back. Yeah, he passed on your message, Waves.”

“What are you doing back?”

“Your message. Curtis dying seemed like the right time to come back.”

“He didn’t die, Wynonna. He was murdered. The good old Earp curse striking again.” Spinning on her heel, Waverly turned her attention to serving waiting customers.

“Oh, hey, a beer would be great,” Wynonna called out, noting that her request was ignored. She watched her sister for a minute, wanting to say so much to her. Sadly, she realised the young girl who used to hang on her every word was gone and had been replaced by this older angrier version. A bridge to fix later, she decided. Turning so she could eye the exotic woman seated with Nicole, she said none too quietly, “Who’s your arm candy, Haught-stuff?”

Nicole groaned while Shea smiled in amusement and offered a hand. “Shea Haught. We met once before, Wynonna.”

A sentence that had Wynonna frowning at Nicole. “I thought you were an only child?”

“I am an only child. This is my wife.”

Blue eyes went comically wide. “Wife? You’re married? Since when are you married and why wasn’t I invited to host your bachelor’s party?”

“Bachelorette party,” Nicole corrected. “And I didn’t have one.”

“You didn’t have one? That’s like the whole point of getting married, dude!”

“Fairly sure the getting married part is the point, Wynonna.”

“It wasn’t really planned,” Shea spoke up. “That’s what happens when you have a crazy weekend in Vegas.”

“You went to Vegas and didn’t invite me?” Wynonna asked incredulously. “You’ve become the worst friend ever.” She took in what Nicole was wearing, finally noticing she wasn’t in black like everyone else. “I know I’m underdressed, but I’m fairly certain Waves wouldn’t have let this be a fancy dress event. Why are you wearing the Purgatory police uniform? For the love of God, buy a thirsty woman a drink and tell me what kind of hell this is!”

Rolling her eyes at her sister’s dramatics, Waverly placed a beer in front of Wynonna. “Inside voice, Wy,” she scolded.

Picking up the glass, Wynonna chugged half the contents. “Where the hell is Willa? If this is our uncle’s wake, shouldn’t she be here?”

“I can’t say I’ve seen Willa since I got back,” Nicole replied, looking to Waverly for an answer.

“Ha, yeah, funny story. Willa decided to go find herself and according to Robert is camping out with some cult in the woods.”

“I call bullshit!” Wynonna said loudly, getting looks of disapproval from those nearby. “No way on Earth is Willa camping.”

“Wynonna, it’s Uncle Curtis’s wake,” Waverly scolded.

“He wouldn’t mind, he always said I was a free spirit.”

Rolling her eyes, Waverly looked at Nicole. “It’s up to you to keep her out of trouble.” She walked away.

With a face like thunder, Gus made her way over. “Wynonna,” she acknowledged. The air turned noticeably chilly.

“Gus.”

“What are you doing here?”

“Uncle Curtis died and my baby sister got in touch to tell me. So, here I am to pay my respects.”

“Pay your respects,” Gus scoffed. She moved in closer, lowering her voice in an effort to keep their conversation private while in a roomful of people. “You’ve never respected anything in your life!”

Wynonna picked up a tiny square of sandwich. “Did Waverly make these?”

“Of course she did. You weren’t around to help.”

Rolling her eyes at her aunt, Wynonna stuffed the whole thing in her mouth and hummed her approval.

“I want you to leave, Wynonna. You’ve paid your respects, tomorrow you can leave. Your sister has worked so hard to make people in this town like her for her, worked hard to get out from under your shadow. She’s made a life for herself here. I won’t let you swoop in and ruin it all for her.”

“You won’t let me?” Wynonna questioned. “She’s my baby sister, Gus. She’s my family.” She picked up her beer and took a measured sip.

“I love you, Wynonna, but you’re as broken as they come. Don’t do anything to hurt Waverly while you’re here and we won’t have a problem.”

“Don’t get your panties in a twist. I’m not sticking around.”

Gus turned and left, retreating back across the room and into the arms of friends.

Shea, who had been sitting and observing everything, including the pretty barmaid who everyone in Purgatory seemed to love, finished her drink. “I’m going to head home. I didn’t know Curtis and it seems wrong to be here.”

Nicole blinked. “If you’re sure?” Things had been strained between them ever since the day Curtis had been murdered. They’d had a blazing argument once Nicole got home and asked Shea why she’d let slip something to Chrissy Nicole had specifically asked her not to mention. Shea claimed it was a complete accident, but Nicole wasn’t so sure.

“I’m sure.” Shea leaned in to kiss Nicole’s forehead. “It was nice to see you again, Wynonna.”

“Of course it was, I’m the best thing in this town.”

Shea smiled. Nicole was right, Wynonna certainly was a character. “You’ll have to come over for dinner before you leave town. Nicole, make her promise before you part company tonight.”

They, along with half the people in the bar, watched the elegant doctor exit.

Hand wrapping around her beer glass, Wynonna looked at her old friend, studying her and trying to decipher all the things she usually missed. “So, you’re back in good old Purgatory,” she started the conversation neither of them wanted to have.

“So it would seem.”

“Married.”

“Yep.”

“Why?”

Nicole laughed. “Why am I married?”

“Why are you back? This town is poison.”

“Nedley offered me a job. Made a good case for why I should take him up on it.”

“So, you packed up your city life, the little wife, and moved back,” Wynonna filled in. She swigged from her glass, enjoying the familiar comfort of the alcohol going down. “What does she think about all this?”

“She was happy to move.” That was a lie. Shea had been more than happy in the city with their city life and city friends.

“Uh-huh. And what does she think about your history with Waverly?”

Brown eyes blinked rapidly. “What are you talking about?”

“I’m not blind, Nicole. I remember how you two used to look at each other, how torn up Waverly was when you skipped town.”

“I didn’t skip town, I—”

Wynonna waved a hand dismissively. “Tomayto, tomarto.”

Nicole stared at her glass, trying to organise her thoughts. Had news spread about her and Waverly? She didn’t think Chrissy was the type to gossip, but Wynonna wasn’t exactly observant. How much did Wynonna actually know and how much was she guessing? Before she could ask, Wynonna continued.

“Waverly used to follow us around. No matter where we went, she was never far behind. I thought she was idolising me for awhile, then I noticed that her gaze was always on you, that she would smile at you, clap for you.”

Nicole shook her head, ready to argue away the observations.

“I can’t remember how many of your stupid basketball games she dragged me to, but it sticks out in my memory because she hates basketball. She hates all sports. Our Waves has always been more about dancing than doing anything sporty.”

“We’re friends, Wynonna. We were friends. That’s all.”

“I know what Gus said to you,” Wynonna confessed. “I overheard it all.”

Brown eyes widened as Nicole’s mouth fell open in surprise. “You were out of town,” she breathed.

“I was back. I had got back late that afternoon and I heard every word.” She finished her beer and tried to flag down her sister for a refill. “Gus had no right saying what she did. Waverly deserved a shot at happiness and you, Nicole, always made her happy. I don’t think she’s been truly happy since.”

“It wasn’t necessarily about happiness,” Nicole said, thinking back to that fateful conversation with Gus.

“No, it was about everyone wanting Waverly to live up to their expectations, even if that was at the cost of her happiness.”

“She looks perfectly happy to me.” Then realising exactly what had happened that day, Nicole shook her head. “Maybe not today, per se.”

Both sets of eyes found Waverly pouring a beer for Pete York. Champ was hanging all over her, as he had been all night.

“Chump-change was a booty call that went on too long,” Wynonna said, distaste in her tone. “Falling pregnant with that idiot’s child was definitely a mistake.” She waved again as Waverly turned, desperate for a fresh drink, but Waverly either didn’t see her or was choosing to ignore her. Puffing out her cheeks in defeat, blue eyes turned to Nicole. “So, what’s new in town?”

“Nothing. It’s scary how everything seems exactly as it was when I left.” Nicole fiddled with her glass. She wanted to talk more about the past but now wasn’t the time. “Beth Gardiner works in real estate now. She sold me and Shea our house.”

“Beth Gardiner works? My memory of her and Tucker-the-tool is that their favourite pastime was to look down their noses at everyone in town for not having the sort of money they did.”

“According to town gossip, they were blowing through the family inheritance like it was going out of fashion. That all changed when Mercedes came back.”

“Mercedes is back in town?”

“She’s bought the old high school and has an ambitious plan to renovate it into fancy apartments.”

“And put her siblings in their places?”

Nicole nodded. “Which they’re unhappy with but can’t do anything about. Mercedes is executioner of their parents’ will.” She finished her beer and blinked as Waverly appeared in front of her to take the empty glass.

“Do you want another one?”

“Sure, for her you come running over!” Wynonna complained. “And, yes, I would love another one.”

Waverly shot a withering glance at her sister. “Do you actually have the money to pay for another drink? Because I seem to remember you having an unpaid tab.”

“We’ll take another round,” Nicole spoke up. “On me. And one for you if you want one.”

Wynonna observed the shared smile between the pair and ruined the moment by pretending to gag.

Waverly nudged the sandwich platter towards the pair. “Eat something. I made plenty.”

Looking around at the numerous platters on the bar top, Wynonna snorted. “You made enough to feed the entire town twice over, baby girl.” She watched Waverly leave to get them fresh drinks, then indulged in another sandwich. “So, what happened to my uncle?”

“He was murdered.”

“Got any leads?”

Nicole shook her head. “We have no motive and no witnesses.”

Wynonna frowned. “Where did it happen?”

“On your land. Are you really leaving again?”

“You heard Gus, I’m not welcome here.”

“She’s upset Wynonna, she buried her husband today. But I know for a fact that Waverly misses you whenever you leave.” She looked at the brunette. “She didn’t even know you were in Greece until I told her.”

Wynonna frowned. If there was one thing she regretted in life it was letting Waverly down. Unfortunately, it seemed to be a bad habit she had grown good at. “Winter’s coming and I don’t like the cold,” she said lamely.

“Summer is coming and your uncle was murdered. Gus and Waverly need you.”

“Hardly!”

“They may not say it, but they do. Why do you think Waverly got in touch with you?”

Wynonna had a “fuck you” attitude when it came to people, except when it came to Waverly. She adored her baby sister and would go to hell and back for her.

“Stick around for my sake. Help keep me sane.”

“Dude, you’re a lost cause. You’re working for Nedley.” Wynonna smiled at the redhead before her attention was grabbed by her sister’s return, or more importantly, a fresh, frothy beer.

*** * * * ***

A couple of hours later, sick and tired of Champ following her around and smothering her, Waverly yelled at him and he retreated to a corner of the bar with his idiot friends, where they were now annoying everyone with their loud, obnoxious behaviour.

Shorty shooed Waverly out from behind the bar after giving her a gentle hug and complimenting her sandwich selection. He took over serving drinks, telling her she deserved the rest of the night off.

Arms folded around herself as she fought to keep control of her emotions, Waverly made her way over to join Wynonna at the pool table. She felt as if she were a volcano and at any minute she could just scream in pure frustration of her life, at the people she had lost, the people who left her. She willed her emotions deeper down inside. “Where’s Nicole?”

“Called it a night.” Alone with her baby sister for the first time since getting back, Wynonna shifted awkwardly, feeling horribly uncomfortable. Emotional scenes weren’t really her thing, but things needed to be said. “So,” she started. “She’s back, huh?”

“Apparently.”

“And married.”

“So it would seem.”

“The wife seemed nice, I guess.”

“That’s what everyone tells me.” Waverly ran her fingers over the edge of the table.

“You don’t think she’s nice?”

Sighing, Waverly’s arms again wrapped around her body. A defensive move. “I don’t know her. She walked in, I served her, I didn’t know she was Nicole’s wife.”

“Now that you do?”

Waverly shrugged. “She was...” She didn’t want to say nice, everyone was saying nice. “She was polite.”

Wynonna took a shot and grunted as the ball ricocheted off the pocket and rolled away. “And you’re still with douche-bag.”

Waverly glanced in Champ’s direction, seeing him wave his arms about as he regaled his friends with some story. “He wants another baby,” she confessed.

“Wasn’t one mistake bad enough?”

Head whipping back around to her sister, Waverly glared. “Aurora isn’t a mistake.” She watched Wynonna’s eyebrow lift in question. “Okay, so she was kinda a mistake, but I don’t regret having her.”

“I didn’t say that. All I’m saying is if you could do things over...” She left the sentence hanging.

Unfolding her arms, Waverly poked at one of the pool balls, watching it roll away. “I’m happy, Wynonna.”

“I beg to differ, Waverly.” She took another shot and again the ball ricocheted off the pocket. “Goddammit! Has Shorty changed this table?”

Waverly smirked. “I think you’re out of practise.”

Walking slowly around the table pretending she was eyeing up her next shot, blue eyes flicked to her sister. “There’s still time.”

“For you to improve your game?” Waverly chuckled.

“For you to be happy.”

“I am happy.”

“I mean really happy, like with a certain redhead happy.”

Waverly tensed. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Like hell you don’t.”

“Sleep it off, Wynonna. You’re imagining things.” She left her sister to her game, confused about what had been implied. Had Nicole told her? Had Shea? Nicole’s wife had let slip the secret to Chrissy. Maybe that was her mission, to come to Purgatory and destroy Waverly’s perfectly ordered life. She shook her head, that thought was too ridiculous.

The thing that irked her the most was that Wynonna was right. With Nicole she had been really happy, loved and appreciated, her world a brighter place. And if she remembered correctly, her usually oblivious sister had enjoyed teasing her over her puppy love on numerous occasions when they were younger.

Waking with a small groan, Waverly stretched languidly as the dream she had been having slowly faded away. She couldn’t remember everything, but she was fairly certain it had featured Nicole in a bikini at the side of a pool offering to feed her grapes and love her in all the right ways.

Head turning towards her window, she blinked out at the early morning sky, seeing baby blue with a splattering of white cloud. A good day to be outdoors, she thought. Nicole had agreed to come over and help Curtis paint the barn in preparation for the upcoming autumn and winter months.

Waverly couldn’t wait to see the redhead a little sweaty from a hard day’s work. A guilty pleasure of Waverly’s was watching Nicole play basketball and then come off the court glistening and breathless. It was the sexiest sight on Earth as far she was concerned.

Feeling suddenly warmer and not having time to indulge in any of her wild fantasies, she threw back the covers and climbed out of bed. Padding to her closet, her thoughts on what she should wear, what was sexy yet practical for painting, she cringed as Wynonna and Willa started screeching at each other downstairs. It was too early for their dramatics.

Grabbing a denim skirt and a blue blouse that was a little too long for her and would need tying at the waist, Waverly hummed cheerfully as she left her room and headed for the bathroom, needing to shower before she did anything else.

Half an hour later, showered and dressed for the day, Waverly was pleased to note her older sisters had stopped bickering. With a smile on her face, the youngest Earp made her way downstairs and to the kitchen. “Good morning,” she greeted, pausing to kiss Gus’s cheek before taking a seat at the table with her sisters.

“Why is she so happy?” Willa scowled.

“Nicole’s coming over,” Wynonna replied, mouth full of pancake. “She’s always happy and glowy when Nicole comes over.”

Willa studied her youngest sister. “Are you a… gay?”

“Willa, leave your sister alone,” Gus warned, turning to put a plate in front of Waverly.

“It’s an honest enquiry, Aunt Gus. Shouldn’t we know if we have a gay in the family?”

“I’m not gay,” Waverly muttered, feeling a knot of dread in her belly. “Shut up, Willa.”

“What are you wearing?” Willa asked, eyeing her sister’s outfit. “I thought you were painting the barn?”

“She’s got herself a little crush,” Wynonna spoke up. “Haven’t you noticed she follows Nicole around like a lost puppy? Don’t tease her about it.” She smirked at Waverly until her baby sister kicked her in the shin. “Ow! Dammit, Waverly!”

“Language, Wynonna,” Gus scolded.

“It’s not a crush,” Waverly pouted. “Nicole’s my friend. That’s all. And I like her more than I like you two.”

“Ouch, you wound me, baby girl.” Wynonna put a hand over her heart and feigned hurt. “And I think you’ll find that she’s my friend and merely tolerates you because she feels like she has to.”

“She does not.” The thought hurt. “Shut up, Wynonna.”

Their argument was interrupted by the doorbell ringing. “There’s your crush now. Early and keen to see you.” Wynonna started making kissing noises.

“Shut up, Wynonna!”

“One of you girls get that, or do I have to do everything around here?” Gus said with her back to the three sisters.

“I’m eating,” Waverly reminded her.

“I don’t like her,” Willa sniffed.

Wynonna rolled her eyes. “Fine. Seeing how she is technically my friend anyway, I’ll go let her in.”

Waverly tried to act like she didn’t care that Nicole had arrived, even if her heart was now galloping. She focused too intently on her food as her ears strained to hear Wynonna opening the door and greeting Nicole. Something she couldn’t quite hear was said and the pair laughed, then she heard footsteps heading along the hall. Exhaling slowly, trying to calm down, she told herself to play it cool.

“Look who it was,” Wynonna announced as she stepped back into the kitchen. “I told her we don’t take in strays but she insisted on coming in.”

“Wynonna,” Gus scolded. She smiled at Nicole as the redhead stepped into the kitchen. “You’re always welcome here, Nicole.”

“Thanks, Mrs. McCready.”

“How many times do I have to tell you to call me Gus?”

“I’m being polite.”

“Mm-hmm. Have you eaten?”

Nicole nodded. “Yes, ma’am.”

“Well, you’re a growing girl and you’re going to be working hard today,” Gus said as she scooped a stack of pancakes onto a plate. “Eat up.”

Grinning, her dimples coming on show, Nicole took the plate Gus held out and moved to sit at the table. “Morning, Waves.”

Looking up and acting like she had only just noticed Nicole had joined them, Waverly smiled. “Oh, hey, Nicole. Sleep well?” She scrunched her eyes shut. Sleep well! Idiot, could you be any more lame?

Nicole blinked. “Uh, yeah. Thanks for asking.” She chuckled nervously as her gaze flicked to Wynonna and Willa.

“I slept like a baby, thanks for asking,” Wynonna put in.

Willa rolled her eyes, bored with the whole conversation. “Right, I’m off. I’ve had enough of you losers.”

Gus turned around. “You’re not sticking around to help them today?”

“Robert’s taking me into the city.” She saw the face Gus pulled and immediately tensed. “I don’t know why you dislike him so much, Gus. He’s always perfectly nice to you.”

“He’s too old for you and he’s… he’s...” Gus’s gaze flicked around each of the faces at her table, searching for the right words. “Odd.”

“I’m probably going to marry him, Gus. You could try to be a little nicer.”

“Probably going to marry him? Sounds like true love.”

“Whatever. We’ve all heard the story of your first impression of Uncle Curtis, so you really can’t judge who I fall in love with. See you all later.” With a wiggle of her fingers, she swanned out.

“She should be on the stage, she’s so dramatic,” Wynonna commented, snagging a pancake from Nicole’s plate.

“Uh, kettle and pot come to mind,” Waverly said.

“Thanks, Waves, for offering to do the washing up,” Wynonna grinned. “Me and Nic are keen to get outside and get our tan on.”

Waverly scowled. “Hey! It’s your turn.”

“You just offered.” Wynonna got to her feet. “Come on, Haught-to-trot, let’s get this day started.”

Nicole finished chewing and looked from Wynonna to Waverly. “I’ll give you a hand if like, Waves. Two people doing it will get it done quicker.”

Wynonna snorted. “Two people doing it?”

Gus slapped her niece’s arm. “Behave.”

Blushing because her mind had gone places she was keen but not yet ready to explore, Waverly nodded. “Thanks, Nicole. A hand would be great.”

“I bet it would be!” Wynonna snorted.

“Out!” Gus shooed her. “Out of my kitchen, out of my house. Go find Curtis, he’s already out there. You two,” she pointed at Nicole and Waverly, “get washing and drying.” Pouring herself a cup of coffee, she stepped out onto the back porch to keep an eye on Wynonna.

Left alone in the kitchen, Waverly smiled shyly at the lanky redhead. “You don’t have to help me.”

“I don’t mind.” Nicole smiled shyly. “Are you okay?”

“Wynonna was teasing me.”

“Ignore her. She’s just jealous that I like you better.”

“Don’t tell her that!” Waverly laughed. “She thinks you only tolerate me because I’m her little sister.”

Glancing over her shoulder to see if Gus was still outside, Nicole leaned in closer once she was sure they were still alone. “We both know that’s not true.” She smiled lovingly. “You look really nice today.”

Blushing from the compliment, Waverly felt like the whole world had just got a whole lot brighter. For once there was someone who acknowledged her existence, who cared for her, who wanted to see her smile.

Spotting her best friend sitting at a table with old school friends, Waverly made her way over, smiling as her approach was noted.

“Hey, Waves,” Chrissy greeted with a smile. “It was a lovely service.”

“Thanks. I think burying him next to his tomatoes is what he would have wanted. He was always so proud of them.”

“And rightly so,” Chrissy said kindly. “They were always delicious.”

“Nice of Wynonna to put in an appearance,” Stephanie Jones said sarcastically. “She only missed the service and gathering at your aunt’s house, you know, the main events.”

“She had to fly in, Stephanie,” Waverly defended her sister. “Unlike some of us, she actually got out of Purgatory.”

Stephanie Jones was only ever interested in two things: one, being centre of attention, and two, getting noticed by hot single guys. Ever since she got dumped, again, she had been a royal bitch to anyone and everyone when the mood took her. She also lost interest in topics the moment it looked like she was losing the argument.

“And what’s the deal with the two lesbians? Sitting at the bar and making all of us uncomfortable.”

“Not all of us,” Chrissy spoke up, gaze flicking to Waverly.

“Nicole came to pay her respects. I invited her. Curtis always liked her,” Waverly said.

“There are times you are too nice, Waverly,” Stephanie replied, finishing her glass of wine. “Purgatory doesn’t need the gays moving in. We want a classy town with classy people.”

“And yet we let you stay,” Waverly retorted, very unlike herself.

Chrissy choked on her drink in amusement. Like Waverly, Chrissy had got a lot of grief growing up because her dad was a deputy then sheriff. It was something they had always bonded over.

“It seems like everyone comes back eventually,” Beth Gardiner unhappily noted. “My sister, your sister, Nicole.” Everyone was aware of how unhappy Beth was now that her older sister had come home. The eldest Gardner had firmly put her foot down with her younger siblings and neither liked it.

“Purgatory isn’t all bad,” Chrissy said positively. “It can’t be if people keep returning. And it’s growing, sort of, we have a Chinese takeaway now and there’s talk of a vegetarian restaurant opening.”

“Have you and Champ had a fight?” Stephanie spoke up, her gaze across the bar to where Champ was still sitting with his old school friends.

“We don’t have to be together twenty-four-seven,” Waverly muttered.

“Ain’t that the truth,” the blonde smirked. “You’re happy to let him go off on the rodeo tour alone. All those cities and towns, motel rooms, bars. A lot of single ladies like a cowboy.”

“Champ’s not a cowboy, he’s barely a bull rider.”

“You always complain about never getting out of Purgatory, why don’t you go with him?”

Waverly didn’t want to get into her personal money worries and luckily for her Stephanie lost interest in the conversation. The high maintenance blonde stood, her mind made up. “Let’s go join the boys,” she stated. “And talk about old times when we weren’t all sensible adults.”

Deciding that definitely wasn’t a night she wanted to endure, Waverly waved her off. “I’m going to head home. Today’s been stressful and emotional and all I want is to cuddle with my little girl and go to bed.”

Rolling her eyes, Stephanie led the gang away, while Chrissy hesitated. “Where’s Aurora gone?”

“Gus took her home an hour ago, she was getting a little cranky.”

“This must be hard for her to understand.”

Waverly nodded. “We sat her down and tried to explain how Curtis had gone to heaven, but I’m not sure if we didn’t confuse her more. Thanks for all you did this week, Chrissy.”

“I love spending time with my God-daughter, you know that.” Smiling, she put a hand on her best friend’s shoulder. “If you need anything just call.”

“I will,” Waverly smiled. “Thank you.” Remaining seated, she turned slightly to watch the girls approach the table where Champ was with Pete and Kyle Yorke, and some of the old members of the winning ice hockey team. Seeing the girls come over all airheaded, she rolled her eyes and wondered if any of them would ever fully grow up. Champ included.

Thinking about the hockey team made her think about the basketball team which in turn made her think about Nicole, one time star of the Purgatory High team. Which then led to her thinking about now and Nicole’s very pretty wife, who was nice and a doctor, and who despite never meeting Curtis, had passed on her heartfelt sympathies over his death.

Blowing out a breath of frustration and confusion, her gaze found her sister still cursing beside the pool table. Was it possible that Wynonna had known all along about herself and Nicole? Sure, she had delighted in teasing Waverly, but that was all it had been. Right? Waverly couldn’t imagine Wynonna knowing and not saying something. Which left one other scenario. Someone had told her.

A mystery to be solved on another day, Waverly got to her feet and went to say her goodbyes for the night.

*** * * * ***

Walking into her bedroom, Nicole smiled at Shea who was sitting in bed reading some sort of medical journal. “Some light reading before bed?” she joked.

“A doctor never stops learning. There’s always some new technique you have to know or be aware of.” Placing a bookmark between the pages, brown eyes watched Nicole unbuttoning her shirt. “She’s very pretty.”

Frowning in confusion, the redhead looked up from what she was doing. “Who?”

“Waverly.”

Getting the feeling that wasn’t something she should respond to, Nicole grunted and went back to undoing her buttons.

“I shouldn’t be surprised really,” Shea continued, determined to have this conversation. “You were so hung up on her.”

With her buttons now undone, Nicole sighed and met her wife’s steady gaze. “And you don’t think I would have been hung up on her if she was plain looking?”

“Not at all. Love is love. I just…I don’t know what I imagined, but who I found wasn’t it.”

“I don’t know what you want me to say.” Nicole could feel an argument brewing and was puzzled as to why her wife wanted to start one. She took off her shirt and hung it up then started on her trousers. She had work tomorrow and it wouldn’t do to look crumpled.

“I don’t want you to say anything. I’m just pointing out that Waverly is very beautiful.”

“Okay, fine. She’s very beautiful.” It was the wrong thing to say.

“So you do still think she’s beautiful?”

Nicole threw her hands up in frustration, stuck in a lose-lose situation. “You just said she was beautiful, I’m agreeing with you.”

“I don’t want you to simply agree, I want to know what you’re thinking.”

“I’m thinking I want this conversation to end so I can go to bed.” Now wearing her night clothes, Nicole yanked back the covers, ready for this day to be over.

“Why did you two break up?”

“Shea!” Nicole groaned. “It doesn’t matter, it’s all in the past.”

“But it’s not, is it? Not really. Because here we are back in your old town and she’s still here.”

“Married! She’s married.”

“But what if she wasn’t?”

“I’m married. To you if you recall.”

“So you’re saying you wouldn’t be tempted?”

Throwing back the covers so she could get out of bed, Nicole grabbed her pillow. “I’m not having this argument. I’ll sleep on the sofa.”

Shea watched her wife leave the bedroom and felt her concern deepen. It didn’t matter that they were married, didn’t matter that Waverly was married, she had seen for herself the chemistry between the pair.


	6. Chapter 6

**S** itting in her aunt’s kitchen with a bowl of cereal in front of her, Wynonna watched her baby sister move about effortlessly as she made breakfast for Aurora and Champ. Wynonna wasn’t sure why chump-change couldn’t make his own breakfast, wasn’t sure why Waverly didn’t tell him to go take a leap. She supposed it was because her sister wanted to please everyone, or maybe because Waverly had convinced herself she was happy to live like this.

Over the last three days, Wynonna had observed and said little, except when arguing with Gus, who still wanted her to leave and made it obvious every time they were in the same room together. The truth was Wynonna had no plans to leave again, her family was here. Though, there was still no sign of Willa.

“Champ, your breakfast is ready,” Waverly called out as she set a steaming plate of toast and eggs on the kitchen table.

The second her back was turned, Wynonna snagged the plate and cutlery and tucked in. She had some things to say and the only way to get a conversation started was if she annoyed Waverly into reacting.

Cup of coffee in hand, Waverly turned around and gasped. “Wynonna!”

“Hey, babe, I was thinking—” Appearing in the kitchen doorway, Champ was oblivious to what he had just walked in on.

“That’s Champ’s breakfast,” Waverly snapped at her sister.

“Let him make his own. I’m your sister,” Wynonna said around a mouthful. “Who you’ve missed very very much.”

Champ frowned, then pointed. “Is that my breakfast?”

“Welcome to the conversation, dumb ass.” Wynonna eyed the mug Waverly was still holding. “Is that for me?”

Bringing the mug closer to her body as though she knew Wynonna would make a grab for it, Waverly shook her head. “It’s Champ’s.” Moving away from the counter, she handed him the mug.

“Can you make me another plate, babe?” he asked. “I haven’t got all day.”

“Those were the last two eggs. I can make you some toast.”

Champ scowled, Waverly glared, and Wynonna smirked triumphantly. “I had no idea you could cook so well, baby girl. This is delish.” She forked another pile into her mouth and chewed obnoxiously, taking great delight in Champ’s mournful look at what remained of his breakfast.

“How about some cereal?” Waverly suggested.

“I’ll grab something in town. I need to go to the hardware store with Shorty.” He gulped half his coffee, pressed a kiss to Waverly’s forehead and a more tender one to Aurora’s head, then left with an obnoxiously loud comment about Waverly being the keeper of his boner.

“What do you see in him?” Wynonna asked.

“Wynonna,” Waverly sighed wearily. It was too early in the day for her sister’s antics.

“I’m serious. I don’t get it.” She speared some egg. “Remember when you were twelve and him and his little gang of wannabes tried to lock Chrissy Nedley in a porta-potty?”

Waverly remembered running to help, picking up a stick and whacking Champ in the balls until he fled.

“He was a dick even back then.”

Setting a bowl in front of her daughter, Waverly took a seat opposite her sister, watching Wynonna finish the last of the breakfast she had cooked. “Don’t say things like that in front of Aurora.”

“Aren’t you eating?”

“I’ll make some toast in a bit. I like to make sure Champ and Aurora are fed and happy first.” She looked at her daughter, who as per usual, had made a mess of her surroundings and herself in the blink of an eye. She smiled affectionately.

“You’re a wife and mother, not the maid.”

Hazel eyes flicked back to Wynonna. “How long are you staying?”

“Trying to get rid of me?”

“Just wondering.”

Pushing back the plate, Wynonna eyed her younger sister. “With Nicole here and you here, I thought I’d stick around awhile. The old gang back together.” She smiled. Waverly didn’t. “Did she tell you how she ended up married?”

“We haven’t really spoken.” Waverly got up and put the kettle on. “Do you want some tea?”

“Coffee.” She watched Waverly grab two mugs. “How come?”

“How come what?”

“How come you two haven’t spoken?”

This wasn’t a conversation Waverly wanted to have. Especially since Wynonna seemed to know about her dalliance with Nicole. “We’ve both been busy.”

“Too busy to grab a coffee together?”

“She moved back to town and started a new job, that’s time consuming. And I… I have Aurora to look after and I work and have to keep house. Then Uncle Curtis—” She trailed off, not needing to say. “There’s been no time.” The kettle whistled and she poured boiling water into the mugs. “I honestly don’t care how they ended up married.” She wasn’t sure if she was trying to convince Wynonna or herself.

“They had a drunken weekend in Vegas,” Wynonna happily filled in. “A big win, a lot of booze, and a quick I do.”

“I don’t care, Wynonna. Why are you telling me?”

“Because you do care. You always cared.”

“I don’t.”

Wynonna shook her head, not knowing where Waverly got her stubbornness from. “Daddy practically ignored you when we were growing up. Willa took delight in bullying you. I don’t think I ever saw you smile until Nicole started coming around.”

“I smiled. You used to make me smile.”

“Not the way Nicole made you smile. You laid eyes on her and you were a goner.”

Waverly shook her head. “You’re wrong.”

“Like hell I am!” Wynonna snapped. “I think you were twelve years old when your crush came into full bloom. Wynonna, is Nicole coming over today?” she mimicked her sister’s voice. “Wynonna, can I come out with you and Nicole? Do I look better with my hair up or down?”

Waverly felt her cheeks heating up. “I was twelve,” she replied defensively. “She was the first person besides you to treat me kindly.” She focused on making her tea, hoping her sister would drop it.

“It went beyond you being twelve, Waves. You think I never noticed the looks between you two? The shy little smiles. The way you started practising your cheerleading routine whenever she was around. Shit, she even gave up smoking because you yelled at her.”

“She had a boyfriend. Or have you conveniently forgotten all about him?”

“Seeing how she’s married to a woman, I think we can safely say he was her—” She frowned. “What is it? There’s a word for it. Drag hag? No, that’s not right.”

“What is your point, Wynonna?” Waverly turned and fixed her gaze on her sister. “It was a childhood crush. We’ve both grown up now, moved on.”

“It was more than a crush.”

“Leave the girl alone, Wynonna,” Gus said as she entered the kitchen.

Blue eyes turned icy as they locked onto her aunt. “Do you want to tell her or should I, Gus?”

“Tell her what?”

“You know what,” Wynonna insisted.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about, Wynonna. I have just this second walked in.”

“Let me refresh your memory. A conversation you had with Nicole before she left town.”

Startled that Wynonna knew about that, Gus lost control of her composure and glared at her niece. “Leave it in the past, Wynonna.”

Bewildered, Waverly looked between the two, getting the feeling she was missing something. “What conversation?”

“Why are you dragging all this up?” Gus asked. “Your sister’s happily married. They’re both happily married.”

“Oh, stop kidding yourself, Gus! Nicole and Shea are barely hanging in there and Waverly’s about as happy as Nedley at a club 18-to-20 party!”

“What conversation?” Waverly repeated. Hurt that her aunt could hide something from her, and annoyed that Wynonna knew and hadn’t let on, she looked at Gus for an answer. “What aren’t you telling me, Gus?”

Gus shook her head and glared at Wynonna. “Damn you, Wynonna Earp.” Exhaling heavily, she slid into a chair and looked at Waverly. She knew now that her actions had hurt her youngest niece, had put Waverly on a path she might not be walking, but at the time she had thought she was doing what was best for her. “Shortly before Nicole left town for college,” she started, only to stall, not wanting to confess to her part in the sorry mess that followed.

“Nicole came looking for you,” Wynonna picked up the story. “Gus, in her infinite wisdom, warned her about not coming around any more.”

“What?” Waverly gasped.

“It wasn’t like that,” Gus snapped.

“Oh, really? People in town have been talking about you and Waverly, there’s nothing wrong with being different but Waverly’s not.” Wynonna watched the colour drain from her aunt’s face as she repeated the long ago speech. “Everyone likes her, but her life here will be ruined by idle gossip. Give her a chance at—”

“You weren’t even here, Wynonna,” Waverly interrupted in confusion. “You were gone that summer.”

“I had got back that afternoon. You don’t honestly think I would miss spending the last week of the holidays with my best friend before she left, do you?”

Waverly looked from Wynonna to Gus. “Is this true, Gus?”

“I was worried about you, Waverly.”

It felt like a punch in the gut. “Bullshit!”

“Waverly, language,” Gus cautioned, used to Wynonna turning the air blue not Waverly.

“You had no right!”

“You know what people in town are like, they like nothing more than putting you down because you’re an Earp. They didn’t need one more reason. Do you remember how many times you came home crying because the kids at school were horrible to you?”

“She never came back, Gus, not once!”

“It was for the best,” Gus insisted. “You worked so hard to fit in, Waverly, to get people to like you. I didn’t want you to throw all that away on something that might not have been right for you. I would never—”

“You know what I would never do? I would never tell you how to think or feel. I would let you love who you wanted to love, I would be supportive. Not drive that person away!” Feeling like she couldn’t breathe, Waverly picked up Aurora and marched out of the kitchen and straight out house, needing to think, needing to calm down, needing to get away from the people in her life who were supposed to love her no matter what and not lie to her.

“Are you happy now?” Gus growled.

“Not even close.”

“I knew this would happen. I knew you would cause nothing but problems around here. Dragging up old history, drinking all my whiskey. I know Curtis may have stood for that, but then he always was soft on you.”

“He was a good man, and he deserved better than what happened to him. Someone took his head off, Gus.”

“I know what happened!”

“Do you? Because I don’t and the local flatfoots don’t. Something awful is happening in Purgatory, Gus, and it has everything to do with my last name!”

“You’re not the only Earp in town.”

“She’s no longer an Earp at all,” Wynonna snapped back. “She’s now a Hardy, thanks to you.” Her scowl faded as realisation set in. “Champ. Champ found Uncle Curtis, right?”

Gus watched her niece stand and stomp out and was worried for Champ when Wynonna got her hands on him.

  
*** * * * ***

Champ led the way into the hardware store, swaggering in like he owned the place. He had his shirt sleeves rolled up to show off his muscular tattooed arms, his hair gelled to perfection, but instead of his usual smug smirk, he was instead scowling. Shorty followed behind him, ever patient with the egotistical calf roper.

“I’m not saying she shouldn’t be staying with us, but she shouldn’t be staying with us,” Champ complained. “You don’t eat a man’s breakfast. There are rules.”

“Wynonna is family, Champ. She’s entitled to stay with family while she’s in town.”

“Gus doesn’t want her around.”

“Gus is grieving, she doesn’t know what she wants right now. All you can do is be supportive for Waverly’s sake,” Shorty advised. “She needs you now more than ever.”

Champ snorted unhappily. “Right, supportive! Waverly’s never supportive of me, she doesn’t care about my needs. She complains about me doing the rodeo but then nags me about money. And she won’t even discuss us having another baby. I want a baby boy, Shorty. A son I can teach to rope calves and ride bulls and become a star like his daddy. How insensitive is that of her?”

Knowing Champ truly didn’t get how much of an arse he sounded, Shorty sighed. “I suppose she feels now isn’t the right time for something so...” he tried to find the right words, “time consuming.” He was a big man who at first glance could be perceived as a threat, but in reality was a big old friendly teddy bear of a man. He had always had a soft spot for Waverly and, like Curtis, could never work out what she had seen in Champ. “Especially with you away on the rodeo tour. When are you leaving again?”

“Waverly’s made it clear she would prefer me gone and with Wynonna suddenly staying with us I’m ready to go, so I think I’ll head for Texas and take part in the Longview Rodeo.”

“I’m sure Waverly would prefer for you to have a job in town so you could be closer to home,” Shorty soothed Champ’s ego. “But she’s smart enough to realise that as a cowboy you have to go where the rodeo leads you.”

Champ nodded. “Yeah, you’re right. Taking first place in my last event reminded her of the good times to be had. Sure, I’ve been down on my luck lately, but you can’t win every event. It makes winning more special.”

The truth was Champ’s luck was piss poor. He rarely came anywhere near a winning position because he refused to put the time into any practice, preferring to get drunk with his buddies whenever money allowed.

“Everyone put your hands up!”

Shorty and Champ turned to the front of the store where four armed men were now standing and dutifully raised their hands.

“Nobody do anything stupid,” the one with the shotgun said.

“We want the money,” the lead gunman told the shop owner behind the counter. “In the till and in the safe.”

“I don’t… I don’t have a safe.”

Firing a shot into the ceiling, the one in charge levelled his pistol back on the shop owner. “Lying to me isn’t advisable.”

Wide-eyed and trembling, Champ had never been so terrified in all his life. He was too good looking to die in a robbery. He had a whole life to live, women to shag, drinks to drink, he couldn’t die like this, not Champ Hardy, rodeo star. As his belly flip-flopped, he wished he hadn’t eaten such a large breakfast at the diner.

*** * * * ***

“Nicole,” Nedley called out just before appearing in the open doorway of his office. “I just got a report of an armed robbery in progress at the hardware store. Get over there and see what’s going on.”

Jumping to her feet, the redhead grabbed her Stetson from the rack and strode to the swinging door to get out of the bullpen.

“Don’t be a hero,” Nedley called after her. “If there is a robbery in progress, you call it in and wait for back-up.”

“Yes, Sir.” Nicole valiantly kept the smile off her face until she was outside. Who said Purgatory was dull?

“Haughtness Everdeane,” Wynonna called out cheerfully.

“What?”

“You know, Katniss Everdeane, Hunger Games, movie-related twist on your name.” Wynonna waved a hand, dismissing the joke. “Never mind. Where are you heading and have you seen Waverly?”

Nicole frowned. “Why would I have seen Waverly?”

“She stomped out of the house this morning and hasn’t been back since,” the brunette explained. “There was a time she always ran to you.”

Opening the driver’s door of her patrol car, Nicole shook her head. “I haven’t seen her. I’ll keep an eye out if you like. Right now though I have a report of an armed robbery to check out.”

Quick as a flash, Wynonna had the passenger door open and was sliding in. “Cool, I’ll come with.”

“Wynonna, this is police business. You can’t come with me.”

“I’m already in the car, Nicole. You’re just wasting time arguing with me.”

Rolling her eyes at the truth in that, Nicole slid in behind the wheel and buckled up.

“Besides, I have nothing better to do until I catch up with Champ.”

“Seatbelt.”

“Seatbelts are for—” Seeing the look the redhead shot her way, Wynonna conceded quickly. “Sensible people like us.” Seatbelt clicking into place, she drummed her hands on the dashboard. “Blues and twos, let’s go.”

The drive to the hardware store wasn’t a long one and didn’t require Nicole to put her lights on, much to Wynonna’s disappointment, especially since she was in the front of a patrol car for once and not the back. They pulled up and got out of the car just as the store’s door opened and a gunman stepped out.

“Freeze!” Nicole shouted in surprise, her training kicking in. She reached for the gun at her hip as she moved behind the cover of her car. “Wynonna, get behind cover.”

Startled, the gunman took aim at Nicole. “Stay back, we’ve got hostages! You come in, we’ll kill ‘em all.” With that said, he retreated inside the store.

“Now what?” Wynonna asked.

“Now I call it in,” Nicole told her, reaching for her radio. “Hey, isn’t that Champ’s truck?”

Wynonna looked and sure enough it was Champ’s truck parked up. “Oh, right, he mentioned something about going to the hardware store. Fingers crossed he gets his dumb arse shot.”

“Wynonna,” Nicole scolded.

“What? With him out of the way, you and Waves can be all Romeo and Juliet again.”

“Happily married, Wynonna.” Not strictly true but now wasn’t the time to get into that. “And we were never Romeo and Juliet. I don’t know where you’re getting your info but it’s wrong.” Nicole radioed the station to tell them there was an armed robbery in progress.

“You used to look at her like she was the best thing since sliced bread,” Wynonna said. “Your big brown eyes shining with adoration. And don’t get me started on Waverly’s behaviour. Talking of, you better call her. Tell her the idiot’s got himself taken hostage and that her beloved favourite sister is on scene but totally safe.”

“Why don’t you call her?”

Wynonna winced. “She might be a tiny bit mad at me right now.”

Rolling her eyes, Nicole pulled out her personal phone and made the call, disappointed when it went straight to voicemail.

With Nicole distracted, Wynonna walked to the store window, wanting to see inside. Peering through the glass, she took stock of the situation. “Hostages are at the rear of the store.”

“Wynonna, get back here!”

“I’ll trade places for the hostages,” Wynonna called out, a plan forming in her mind. “I’ll be your inside mole.”

“Don’t be stupid. That’s a stupid idea!

“Hostage taking is about bargaining, right? If they think I can help them get what they want, then that’s gotta be worth every person in there. Champ included.” Before Nicole could protest further, she tapped on the glass to get the attention of the gunmen. The door opened a crack and she smiled brightly. “Hi! Me in exchange for the hostages and I’ll help you get what you need.”

“No.” The door started to shut.

“I’m an officer of the law. That’s a pretty big bargaining chip.” And also a lie, but what he didn’t know wouldn’t hurt him.

His gaze flicked past Wynonna to Nicole, who was behind the car door pointing her pistol at him. “Fine.” He opened the door wide enough for her to be able to slip inside before slamming it shut.

“Clarance, what are you doing?”

“Don’t use my name, you damn idiot!” Clarance growled. “She wanted a trade. Her for the hostages.”

“Why don’t we just keep them all?” the pock-faced man questioned, sneering at Wynonna.

“Stick to the deal and my colleagues will be more willing to give you what you want,” Wynonna spoke up, having seen enough cop movies to bluff. “Like food, a getaway car, whatever you want. ’Cause you ain’t walking out of here without negotiating, not now we know there’s a robbery taking place.”

A large heavy-set man stomped over to the hostages and pointed to a woman and child. “You two, get out. Now!”

“All the hostages,” Wynonna tried.

More than ready to leave, Champ stood only to find himself being shoved back down.

“Fat chance! I don’t know who you are or why that idiot let you in here, but the rest stay.”

“She’s a cop,” Clarance said. “She arrived with that other lady cop.”

“Oh, yeah? Where’s her uniform then?” They both eyed Wynonna looking stylish in jeans, T-shirt and leather jacket.

“It’s wear what you like day,” Wynonna bluffed. “The other lady cop is a dumb arse and forgot.” She watched them consider her answer and for a second didn’t think they were going to go for it.

Then they did.

“Sit down,” the big guy ordered, wiggling his gun at Wynonna. “Don’t try anything funny or I’ll put a bullet in your head.”

“Original.” Complying, Wynonna moved to where Shorty and Champ were sitting with the store owner. “How’s it going? Pissed your pants yet, Champ?”

“Shut up, Wynonna.”

“What do they want?” she directed at the store owner.

“The money and what’s in the safe.”

“So give it to them and they leave,” she told him, like it was simple.

“I don’t have a safe.”

“Well, shit.” She slipped her hand into her jacket pocket where her phone was.

“Also, Shorty’s been shot,” Champ pointed out.

Wynonna looked and saw the blossoming blood on the bar owner’s shirt. “Double shit.”

*** * * * ***

“I feel like you’ve been avoiding me, Waves!” Chrissy Nedley laughed as she led them into the kitchen. The Nedley house was neat, tidy and homely, with framed photographs adorning the walls and pictures Chrissy had scribbled as a little girl still pinned to the fridge.

“Not intentionally,” Waverly assured her best friend. “I’ve just been really busy lately helping Gus go through all of Uncle Curtis’s paperwork, dealing with Wynonna and Nicole being back, Champ being...” She trailed off, groaning as she thought about how complicated her life suddenly was. 

“Here, I have some paper and some crayons, Aurora” Chrissy said, holding out said items. “How about you draw my dad a nice picture?”

“Okay, Aunt Kissey.”

Putting Aurora down on the floor, Waverly helped get her daughter situated and happy before taking off her coat and sitting down.

“So, tell me everything,” Chrissy encouraged.

“About what, Curtis’s paperwork?” Waverly chuckled.

Turning from the kettle, Chrissy raised an eyebrow at her friend. “You know what. Your fling with Nicole.”

Waverly shook her head. Deny, deny, deny, she thought. She had too much going on in her life right now, the last thing she needed was Purgatorians gossiping about her again. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. Shea’s wrong, there was never anything between me and Nicole.”

“See, I believed that when you first said it. But since then I’ve been thinking and the thing I remember most about that last summer is that you and Nicole were spending a lot of time together. You kept making up excuses not to hang out with the gang so you could be with her.”

“Wynonna was gone again and I… I was upset and Nicole was… Nicole was missing her, so we spent a lot of time together.”

Not believing that for a second, Chrissy made them both a cup of coffee and joined Waverly at the small table so they could have a proper conversation. “It’s okay, you know?” she said kindly. “You know I’m not a gossip, Waves. Whatever you say to me will stay with me. I don’t want you to feel like you have to bottle everything up.”

Staring at her coffee, Waverly thought about letting it all out. She had never told a soul, had bottled it all up for her own silent contemplation. Maybe confessing would ease her burden, maybe it would help her sort out her conflicted emotions. “I can’t remember a time when I didn’t love Nicole Haught,” she started quietly.

Stunned by that revelation, Chrissy stared at her best friend, saying nothing as she waited for the rest of the story.

“I used to do everything I could to get her attention when she was hanging out with Wynonna. To Wynonna, I was just her annoying little sister, but Nicole was always nice, didn’t ever tell me to get lost, listened when I had something to say.” Waverly smiled fondly. “Then when she was sixteen and blurted out that she liked me that was that.”

“Wait. She told you—”

Waverly nodded. “We secretly dated for two years.” She rolled her eyes. “When I say dated, we didn’t date date, like go out for romantic meals and hold hands in public date, we just… spent time together, alone or in a group. All the time we could get.”

“Waverly,” Chrissy breathed, completely floored that she’d had no idea. “I can’t believe I had no idea.”

“We were careful when around other people, we didn’t want to start any rumours.”

“So, what happened? How did you end up stuck here with Champ?” She put up an apologetic hand. “No offence to Champ, but you deserve better.”

Waverly groaned. “He’s immature and ignorant and there are days when he gets on my nerves endlessly!” Feeling as though she was saying too much, she met Chrissy’s sympathetic gaze. “The last time I was truly happy with my life was that summer,” she confessed softly. “Don’t get me wrong, the day Aurora was born was a day I treasure, but—”

“I get it,” Chrissy assured her.

“Nicole told me she was in love with me, that she was ready to stop hiding what we had, to shout from the rooftops about how in love she was, and that… absolutely terrified me. I was petrified by the thought of everyone knowing, judging, talking about us. You know how people in town were when we were kids, neither if us had it easy growing up, did we?”

Chrissy shook her head. “I can’t remember the amount of times I got called a nark just because my dad’s sheriff.” She sipped at her coffee. “That was it then? She wanted to tell the whole town and you told her you couldn’t come out?”

“I told her I wasn’t sure it was what I wanted, that it might be a phase we were going through.”

Chrissy cringed. “After two years together?”

“I know! I regretted it as soon as I said it out loud, but by then it was too late. Then I made it ten times worse by calling it a summer fling. She drove me home and we parted badly. I spent the rest of summer avoiding her and Wynonna came home so Nicole was off with her a lot, then she left.” Hazel eyes dropped to her mug, a lump forming in her throat. “Today I found out Gus warned her off.”

“No! Really?”

Waverly nodded. “She claims she was doing what was best for me.” She sounded as bitter as she felt. “I… I told myself Nicole would come back and that we’d talk and everything would be all right, everything would work out and one day we’d look back on it and laugh, but she didn’t return. Now I know why.”

Chrissy covered one of Waverly’s hands with her own. “So, you settled for Champ.”

Waverly groaned again, not believing the mess her life had become. “I was going to break up with him. But then Stephanie kept going on and on about how I was a virgin, which I wasn’t but couldn’t admit.”

“Because then she’d demand to know who the lucky guy was,” Chrissy filled in.

“Right. So I slept with Champ to stop all the gossip and rumours. I slept with him and we weren’t careful.” She exhaled heavily and pushed her hair back from her eyes. “I realised he wasn’t what I wanted, but delayed breaking up with him because it would have raised eyebrows around town and I just wanted to fit in. Then I realised I was pregnant.”

“And everyone suggested marriage,” Chrissy summed up. “I remember asking you if it was what you really wanted. I remember Curtis trying to talk you out of it.”

“Yeah, he knew my heart belonged to someone else. I don’t think he knew it was Nicole, but he definitely knew I wasn’t in love with Champ.”

Picking up her coffee, Chrissy thought over everything she had heard, everything she knew. “Why did you go through with it? You married him and you’ve stayed with him for nearly four years.”

“Small town, limited dating options.”

“Yeah, tell me about it!”

“I know he cheats but he always comes home and he’s a great father. He adores Aurora.”

“You deserve more than that, Waves. You deserve happiness and love, you deserve to be with someone faithful and loyal, someone who adores you.”

“Do not say someone like Nicole,” Waverly cautioned her best friend.

“She’s back in Purgatory.”

“She’s married, Chrissy. I’m married.”

“Sometimes there’s no stopping fate. When something is meant to be it’s meant to be.”

Waverly picked up her cooled coffee. “Enough about my private life. Whatever happened between you and Robin Jett?”

*** * * * ***

“What do we have, Nicole?” Nedley asked as he climbed out of his car.

“A cluster, Sir. Armed robbery in progress, three hostages according to Mrs. Marchena.” She pointed at the woman who had been released.

“If they were willing to release a woman and child when you asked, maybe we’ll get out of this with no casualties.”

“Uh, Wynonna traded herself,” Nicole reluctantly confessed.

Nedley blinked at her, his moustache twitching unhappily. “Wynonna Earp?”

“Yes, Sir.”

“I’m not going to ask how that came about. Have you called Waverly?”

“I left a message, told her we’re handling it and not to worry. Champ’s inside as well.”

Nedley snorted. “Beginning to think that boy’s a jinx!”

Nicole’s phone rang and thinking it might be Waverly calling her for news on what was going on, she looked at the caller ID. “It’s Wynonna.” Hitting answer, she put the phone to her ear and quickly realised Wynonna had called her without the gunmen knowing. She smiled at Nedley. “She’s called without them knowing.” Putting the phone on speaker, they listened to what was going on inside.

*** * * * ***

“You have a safe. Everyone has a safe!”

“I—I don’t,” the store owner stuttered.

“I’m going to give you until the count of five, then I’m going to shoot you.”

“Uh, sorry,” Champ put his hand up to get their attention. “If you shoot him, how will you get in the safe if you find one?”

“Good point.” The gunmen aimed at Champ. “I’ll shoot you instead.”

“Nice going, Champ,” Wynonna muttered.

Wide eyed, Champ looked from the gunmen to Wynonna and back again. “Shooting me won’t get him to open the safe!”

“No, but it will make me feel better,” the gunmen smirked.

“So, you three gunmen burst in here with no real plan,” Wynonna said for the benefit of Nicole who was hopefully listening on the phone. “Other than to wave your pistols around and demand that a safe he doesn’t have be opened.”

“I found it!” someone out the back called out. “I found the safe.”

“Four gunmen,” Wynonna corrected. “Or is there anyone else back there?”

“Shut up,” the big guy growled. He took aim at the store owner. “You lied to me.” Before anyone could say anything more, he fired.

“Why’d you go and do that, Leland?” Clarance squawked. “We’ll never get the damn safe open now!”

A man who looked like a surfer type with shoulder-length blonde hair and a neat little goatee walked in from the rear of the store. “What’s going on?” He noticed Wynonna. “Who’s she?” Then he saw the dead store owner. “You shot the owner?”

“Leland shot him because he lied,” Clarance snitched. “She’s a lady cop.”

“Clarance let her in,” Leland snitched right back. “Traded her for the woman and girl.”

“Jesus Christ, I can’t leave you two morons alone for one minute! How are we going to get the safe open, genius?”

Wynonna stood, her hands up to show she was no threat. “I’ll open it for you.”

“Sit down,” Leland growled.

“Wait a minute,” Clarance intervened. “Let’s hear her out.” He looked at Wynonna. “How you gonna open it?”

“Misspent youth. I picked up a trick or two. Just let Shorty go.”

“We’re not letting anyone else go,” Leland snapped. “You open the safe and we’ll let you all go. Don’t open the safe,” he wiggled his gun at her. “I’ll shoot you.”

“Then who will open the safe, dipshit?”

“Don’t taunt the gunman, Wynonna,” Shorty cautioned. He had a hand held to his side in an effort to stop the bleeding but he could feel warm, sticky blood oozing between his fingers.

Leland aimed at Shorty. “Open the safe or I blow the old man away, along with the pretty boy with him.”

“Gotta be honest, don’t care too much for Champ,” Wynonna confessed.

“Hey!” Champ whined.

“But Shorty is my favourite bar owner and he let’s me keep a tab.”

“Which is still outstanding,” Shorty muttered.

“Fairly sure you should write it off once I get us out of this situation, Shorty.”

The surfer lookalike frowned at Shorty and Champ. “What’s the deal with you two? Sugar daddy and toy boy?”

Shorty chuckled and Wynonna burst out laughing, while Champ looked absolutely horrified. “Hey! I’m not… he’s not… I’m married!”

“Yeah, whatever.” He looked at Wynonna and wiggled his gun to get her to move. “Come on then, sweet cheeks. Clarance, stay here and watch them. Leland, you come with me. Can’t have you shooting everyone who upsets you.”

Walking into a back room, past boxes of stock and other clutter, Wynonna eyed the gunman standing in front of an old fashioned standing safe. “Pock-face guy with a shotgun,” she said for Nicole’s benefit. “What are your names?” She tried her luck.

“Yeah, right, like I’m going to tell you.”

“Well, I know Leland and dear old Clarance. Why don’t we make it a full set?”

“Shut up.” Leland shoved her forward because he could.

“What is this?” the guy with the shotgun asked, eyeing Wynonna.

“Says she can open the safe,” Leland shrugged.

“Where’s the store owner?”

“Expired,” Wynonna informed him. “Dumb arse here thought it was a good idea to use his gun and not his words.” She removed her leather jacket. “All right, let’s do this.”

*** * * * ***

Hitting mute, Nicole looked at Nedley. “We should go in now. There’s only the one guy still in the front of the store.”

“But three with Wynonna. What do you think they’ll do when they hear the commotion caused by us going in?” Nedley shook his head. “If something were to happen to her, would you want to tell Waverly?”

Nicole shook her head.

“We’re going to have to wait. See if she can’t get that safe open and them out here where the risk won’t be so high.”

“Can we afford to wait?” Nicole questioned. “If Shorty’s been shot, he needs medical attention.”

“No choice. For now, I’ll call the shop and start negotiations.”

“You think they’ll go for a trade? You heard Wynonna already try to trade Shorty’s release for her help. They didn’t go for it.”

“Can’t hurt to try. You stay here and keep listening to Wynonna’s progress, while I step out and call the shop.” Opening the patrol car door, he climbed out and took out his phone, dialling the number Lonnie had provided him with. He listened to it ring and ring and got the sinking feeling this wasn’t going to be as easy as he hoped. Ending the call, he inhaled, taking a moment to compose himself, then hit redial. Determined to get them talking.

*** * * * ***

“Are you going to answer that?” Wynonna asked as the phone started ringing for the third time.

“Nope.”

“It’ll be the police wanting to negotiate.”

“We got you, we got hostages, soon as you get this safe open we’ll have money. What more do we need?” the pock-faced gunman asked.

“Uh, a getaway car.” Turning the dial on the safe, Wynonna listened carefully for the tell-tell click. She hadn’t done this in so long she couldn’t be sure it was going to work.

“She’s right. We’re going to need a new plan for getting out of here,” the surfer spoke up.

“We have a car,” Leland said.

“We’re gonna need a van to fit everyone in,” surfer boy told him.

“Who’s everyone?”

“Us and the hostages.”

Leland frowned, not liking the sound of that at all. “Why would we take them with us? I say we kill ‘em.”

“Uh-huh, and if we do that what’s to stop the police from storming in here and shooting us dead? We make a deal. Tell them we’re going to escape in the van they’re going to get for us and that they’re not to follow us. We’ll leave the van somewhere they can find it, hostages safe and sound, us gone.”

Leland shook his head. “Hostages dead. They’ve seen our faces, they know our names.”

“Not all our names,” surfer guy smiled.

“You’re a real tool, you know that?”

“If we had done this the way I wanted to, we wouldn’t be in this mess right now. Go and get me the phone.” His attention returned to Wynonna. “How’s it going, sweet cheeks?”

She scowled at him. “Almost there.”

“Yeah, well speed it up. I’ve been here far longer than I ever intended.”

*** * * * ***

“This is Sheriff Nedley. To whom am I speaking?”

“Doesn’t matter who you’re speaking to. What do you want?”

“I wanted a peaceful end to this, unfortunately I heard a gunshot. Has someone been hurt or killed?”

“I’m not answering that, Sheriff. One sniff of someone being killed and you’ll be in here with your guns blazing.”

“You’ve already shown some goodwill in letting the woman and child go. Why not let anyone who has been hurt go, or perhaps someone of age.”

“Why do you assume we have anyone of age?”

“It’s a guess, son. I can’t say I’ve been in a hardware store too many times and seen teenagers hanging out.” Nedley was calmly spoken and friendly rather than blunt and demanding. He had learnt over the years to play these situations out slow and steady. “In exchange of you releasing a hostage, I’ll get you whatever you need. Some food perhaps.”

“A van. We want a van.”

“A van,” Nedley repeated. “I’m going to need at least half an hour to get one here. In the meantime, why don’t you send out...”

“Uh-uh, you get the van then we’ll talk more about hostage negotiation.”

As the line went dead, Nedley sighed in frustration. Looking through the wind-shield at Nicole, he indicated he wanted a word and waited as she stepped out of her car. “Go to Malcolm Roycroft’s used car lot and see if he has a van we can borrow. Tell him I’m asking, but if he drags his heels get him to call me.”

“Yes, Sir.”

“Then swing by the station before you come here back here. We need the van fitted with a tracker.”

She nodded. “I’ll leave my phone with you, Sir. You’ll be able to hear how Wynonna’s doing.”

“How’s she getting on in there?”

“From the sound of it, the gunmen are getting very twitchy.”

He nodded. Armed robbery wasn’t supposed to be a day out. “Okay, you get going. Hopefully by the time you get back I’ll have negotiated the release of Shorty.” Hitting redial again, he waited for the phone to be answered.

“You have your orders, Sheriff. No more talking until that van pulls up outside.”

“I need confirmation that my colleague is alive. Brunette, likes to wisecrack and get on your nerves.”

“She’s alive.”

“I’d like a word with her to confirm that.”

“God damn it. Fine!” the man growled. “Here, he wants to talk to you.”

“Thanks, guy in charge,” Wynonna said as she took the phone. She had quickly figured out the dynamics of the gang. “Hello?”

Despite knowing Wynonna hadn’t been hurt, Nedley felt a wave of relief as he heard her voice. “Wynonna, what have you gone and got yourself into?” His tone was laced with affection.

“Oh, you know me, Nedley, just a little armed robbery.” Blue eyes flicked to the gunmen around her. “How’s Nicole?” she asked, wanting to know if the redhead had been listening in.

“Been on the phone for the last hour,” he confirmed, getting what she was hinting at. “Heard a gun shot.”

“Store owner was….”

“Give me that.” The phone was snatched away from her. “There, you have proof of life. Now get us our van.” The phone was slammed down.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for all your kudos and comments. I know I'm slow in getting this out, I appreciate your patience and I'm delighted you're enjoying it.

**H** alf an hour later, the van was weaving its way precariously through traffic at an insane pace, those seated in the back thrown this way and that as they hurtled along. Wynonna could hear Champ whimpering and muttering about not wanting to die and prayed he didn’t piss his pants because the last thing she needed was to be sitting next to that.

Despite her pleas back at the hardware store after getting the safe open, the gunmen had forced Shorty to come with them and she heard him let out the occasional grunt of pain as he was jarred. The bloom of blood on his shirt had grown bigger and darker and she sent up a silent prayer that he would get through this with the rest of them. To lose him and Curtis in a short amount of time would devastate the town, and she knew Waverly would be distraught.

“I don’t see any cops,” Clarance called out, his attention out the back window and on the road behind them.

“Keep looking. No way are they going to just let us disappear.”

Wynonna had wondered what the end game was going to be and found some comfort in a random childhood memory involving her as an outlaw, Waverly as the damsel in distress, and Nicole as town sheriff. She had been armed with numerous water balloons and had delighted in soaking her sister and Nicole before running out and needing to make a run for it. Nicole had given chase until she fell and split open her knee on a jagged rock. Even with blood everywhere, the redhead had insisted on saving Waverly before her wound was looked at.

Wynonna hoped Nicole had grown up to be as good a cop as she had been pretend sheriff. She smiled confidently. Knowing her best friend, she had probably finished top of her class at the academy and that was why Nedley had made her such a lucrative offer to return to Purgatory.

“Are you smiling?” Leland asked, scowling at her. “Why are you smiling?” He looked around at his colleagues. “She’s smiling.”

“It’s probably nerves,” surfer guy replied. “Be cool, Leland. We’re on the home stretch.”

Not satisfied with that, Leland aimed his pistol at Wynonna. “What do you know?” he growled.

“That we’re all probably going to die,” Wynonna told him helpfully.

“We’re not. We’re in the clear,” the pock-faced guy spoke up from the passenger seat. “Ain’t that right, Clarance?”

“Unless they’ve got snipers,” Leland shouted back. “They’re probably moving into position and just when we think we’re okay, BANG, they take out David and we’re all screwed.”

“Dammit, Leland, whatever happened to not using people’s names?” surfer guy barked.

“It doesn’t matter, David,” Leland said sarcastically. “Girlie here’s right, we’re not gonna make it.”

“Is he right?” Clarance asked nervously, eyes on Wynonna. “Do you have snipers moving into position?”

“Snipers?” she laughed. “Where do you think you are? Nedley barely has a coffee machine. There are no snipers, there are no cops following us, just slow down, act normal, and we’ll get out of this alive.”

As she finished speaking there was a loud bang.

The van jerked dangerously this way and that as David fought to control the speeding vehicle, Clarance screamed, Champ screamed, Leland started shouting about Wynonna being a liar as he lurched clumsily at her before being thrown back and to the floor by the van’s movement. Wynonna’s eyes slid shut as she thought about Waverly, sorry she was going to disappoint her yet again.

The van hurtled from its lane into the wrong lane and off the road onto uneven bumpy ground of a field, car horns blaring at them. Momentum took them halfway into the long grass where they suddenly came to a stop, everyone silent and stunned, unsure if they really were alive.

Unfortunately, Leland was the first to recover and react. The heavy-set man got up from the floor where he had been thrown and aimed his pistol at Wynonna. “I’m gonna kill you!”

Seeing he really meant it, Shorty threw himself in front of Wynonna just as the gun went off and took the bullet.

“Shorty, no!”

“Damn it, Leland, stop shooting everyone!” David yelled as he threw open the driver’s door and moved to open the sliding back door. His ears were ringing from the gunshot, his head was bleeding from hitting the steering wheel, and he had just about reached the end of his tether.

“She said there were no snipers, then what happened?” Leland yelled, aiming at Wynonna.

“We blew a damn tyre, you idiot! Put the gun down and let’s get out of here.” He thought he could hear sirens in the distance and knew that if the cops hadn’t been on them before they certainly would be now. “Grab the pretty boy and start heading for the far side of the field. Clarance, you go with them.”

Clarance had a hand to his busted nose. “I’m bleeding.”

“But you’re alive and you can still walk, so get a wiggle on.” David watched the two clowns climb out of the van, Leland with a meaty hand around the back of Champ’s neck manoeuvring him like he was a rag-doll. Once they had started walking, David levelled his gaze on Wynonna and the slumped Shorty. “This is not the way I pictured this day going,” he admitted with a charming smile.

“I’m not leaving him,” Wynonna said stubbornly. “You hear the sirens? The police are coming. There’s still time to save him.”

A shot rang out making David spin around and Wynonna jerk in surprise. A neat little hole appeared in the centre of Shorty’s forehead.

“Now it doesn’t matter,” Leland growled, his pistol still held up and aiming. “Let’s get out of this god damn town.”

But it was too late.

The first police cruiser bounced down into the field, lights and siren going, quickly followed by another two and an ambulance. Clarance started running, dragging Champ with him until he realised he had a better chance if he legged it alone. The lead car came to a stop and Nedley climbed out and pulled his service pistol.

“You’ve got nowhere to go, boys. Let’s end this now.” He waved Nicole after the fleeing gunman, trusting her to apprehend him while he and Lonnie dealt with the rest.

Wynonna sat numbly in the van, the weight of Shorty across her lap, blue eyes on the kind-hearted man she had known her entire life. He had been a friend of her uncle’s, it was his bar she went to when she was officially legal to buy a drink, it was Shorty who had always defended her against the whispers and rumours. Now he was gone.

She was oblivious to the armed robbers being ordered onto their knees and handcuffed before being led over to the patrol cars, oblivious to Nicole appearing and asking if she was all right. She couldn’t stop looking at Shorty who hadn’t deserved to go out like this, certainly not in her place.

“Wynonna,” Nicole said softly, standing at the sliding door again. “They’re going to take Shorty’s body now, okay?” She talked slowly and calmly as though Wynonna were a spooked child.

“It… it should have been me,” Wynonna stuttered, blue eyes finally lifting and meeting sad brown. “That bullet… he took it but it was meant for me.”

Nicole felt helpless. She couldn’t do anything until Wynonna was out of the van, and to get Wynonna out they first had to get Shorty out. She waved the EMTs forward and stepped aside to give them room to work. She fought the urge to offer to help. They knew what they were doing, but she was desperate to get her arms around Wynonna who more than anything needed a hug right now, needed to be reassured that it wasn’t her fault this had happened.

As the EMTs finally loaded Shorty onto their stretcher and moved away, Nicole climbed into the van and wrapped her arms firmly around her best friend. “It’s gonna be okay.”

“It’s not. He… he’s Shorty, much loved bar owner.”

“He was a good man,” Nicole confirmed. “A friend of your family who cared about you enough to save your life.”

“He shouldn’t have. He’s far more liked than I am, than I’ll ever be,” Wynonna insisted, despair turning to anger swiftly. “People are going to be devastated by his death, they wouldn’t have cared if it was me.”

“I would care,” Nicole said sternly. “Waverly would care, Gus and Willa as well. You are loved, Wynonna. Don’t let years of negative comments make you think you wouldn’t be missed, that you wouldn’t be mourned.”

“What’s going to happen to the bar?” Blue eyes widened. “Waverly! Her job! She needs that job! She can’t rely on her dipshit husband.” She looked past Nicole. “Where is Champ anyway?”

Nicole refrained from rolling her eyes. “Crying on Nedley’s shoulder.” She shifted, feeling horribly cramped in the small space of the van. “Can we get out of here now? I’m too big to squish in here.” She knew Wynonna wasn’t her usual self when she didn’t crack a joke at her expense. Climbing out of the van, she stretched to her full five foot nine height and felt some relief. “I need a statement from you.”

As her booted feet hit the grass, Wynonna looked out across the field. “Weren’t you listening to everything on the phone?”

“I still need a statement. But it can wait,” Nicole smiled kindly and rubbed Wynonna’s back. “We should get you back to town, to Waverly, so you can let her know you’re all right.”

Reaching into her pocket for her phone she saw the call she had made to Nicole had ended. “When did it cut out?”

“I hung up when we rolled into the field.”

“I have ten missed calls from Waverly.” Wynonna grimaced at the redhead. “Reckon she’s mad at me?”

“Probably steaming.” Nicole smiled. “But she’ll forgive you. She always does.” She looked over at her colleagues. “I’ll get Lonnie to drive you and Champ back. How about I meet you at Shorty’s later?”

Nodding, Wynonna stood up and nervously wiped her palms on her thighs. “Sure.”

They walked over to where Nedley was awkwardly one-arm hugging Champ, the sheriff looking less than thrilled. Lonnie was hovering behind the pair, not sure what to do with himself.

“Lonnie, can you drive Wynonna back to town?” Nicole asked.

“And Champ,” Nedley quickly added, seeing a way out of his predicament. “You can let go now, son, everything’s fine. You’re fine.” With a final pat on the back, Nedley turned and pushed Champ in Lonnie’s direction. “If I have any more questions, I’ll track you down.” He stood next to Nicole, watching the trio pile into the patrol car, Lonnie starting up a friendly conversation with his two passengers as he started the engine and turned the car around, heading back the way he had driven in. “I’m beginning to think we should put an officer on Champ’s tail. Everywhere he goes, trouble seems to follow.”

Nicole looked at Nedley in surprise before a smile curled her lips. “I’m beginning to think so too, Sheriff.”

“Did you get Earp’s statement?”

“No, I told her I’d get it later. Thought it best to get her back to Waverly and Gus.”

“Mm.” He glanced at his young deputy and smiled. “You two worked well together today. Unconventional, but an otherwise good partnership. Maybe we should find her something to do at the station.”

“Wynonna be a cop? She’ll never go to the academy. She’s too—”

“Rebellious? Stubborn? Wild at heart?”

“All of the above,” Nicole shrugged.

“Something unofficial then, to keep her out of trouble and you on your toes,” Nedley decided, the idea ticking over in his mind. 

“She broke all the rules. Never get into a vehicle and never move to a second location.”

“Like I said, unconventional. A role with us would keep her in town, Nicole, which I’m sure Gus and Waverly would appreciate.”

“You’re just a big old teddy bear under your gruff exterior, aren’t you, Sheriff?”

Bristling at the thought, he scowled. “And still your boss who can put you on desk duty for the next week.” He bit back a smile as she swiftly straightened up, teasing gone and professionalism back in place. “Drive the two criminals in your car back to the station and book ‘em in. Then come back for my two. I’ll stay here and mind the scene until the CSI team gets here.”

“You don’t want me to wait with you?”

“Waste time standing in a field watching traffic go by and making sure no damn fools come and torch the van? No. You get started on the mountain of paperwork we’re going to have because of this.”

“Sure thing, Sheriff. I’ll bring you back a coffee when I return for the other two.”

“Much appreciated.”

*** * * * ***

Waverly couldn’t believe she had lost another person in her life, couldn’t believe her perfect life had been turned upside down in a matter of weeks. Okay, so it wasn’t really perfect, but she had been content. She was married to her handsome high school boyfriend and a mother of one, people in town adored her and didn’t spread rumours about her, she had been greeted warmly and smiled at. It wasn’t a lot, but it had been enough for her.

Now she was questioning everything. Her happiness, her feelings for the people in her life, her marriage. And life in Purgatory was suddenly lawless. Uncle Curtis murdered for reasons as yet unknown and now Shorty had been killed while out shopping. It was like they had gone back to the old west days where there were no rules.

Waverly knew she was a mess, teary-eyed and on the brink of breaking down, but those who had come to the bar to pay their respects needed serving and she was the barmaid. It wasn’t done with a smile and wave tonight, nobody expected it to be, but her presence was familiar and that’s what people needed in these unsettling times.

Taking a shaky breath, she looked around the bar and wondered what would become of it, what would become of her. Shorty had given her this job because she really needed the money and had been okay with her working the hours that suited her. That was all going to change now. Probably.

Across the open-plan bar, she spotted Wynonna staring into space. She had barely spoken all night. She had never seen her older sister so shaken up before, it was unnerving.

At a booth, Champ was acting the big man as he regaled his friends with the day’s events. Wynonna had told her Champ had been bawling like a baby and close to wetting himself throughout the ordeal but here he was acting like a returning hero. She realised she could have lost him. Realised that once again he had been involved in the tragedy in some way. She wasn’t sure how she felt about that, she just knew she wasn’t as upset as a loving wife should be.

Her gaze drifted on, taking in old friends of Shorty’s, the regulars, Shea Haught. The woman had given a small sympathetic smile when she had first come in and had been polite and suitably concerned while she ordered a drink. Waverly wanted to hate her but she really was as nice as everyone kept saying she was.

Seeing Shea made her think about Nicole and thinking about Nicole reminded her of what Gus had done when they were teenagers. Gus had told Nicole to stay away and she had. Waverly didn’t want to think about what could have been but couldn’t help the stray thought flitting through her mind. How different would her life be right now?

Walking into the bar, Nicole’s heart broke as she lay eyes on Waverly leaning against the bar staring off into space. She looked so small and broken. She couldn’t imagine how Waverly was feeling what with so much going on in her life. “Waves,” she breathed as she approached the bar, wanting nothing more than to wrap the woman in her arms and comfort her for as long as she was needed.

Waverly’s heart fluttered at the sight of the redhead, relief flooding through her. Wynonna had told her Nicole was fine, but there had been nagging doubt in the back of her mind that maybe that wasn’t true, maybe Nicole had been hurt. But here she was looking perfectly fine and gorgeous as ever.

Unable to help herself, Nicole reached out, her hands sweeping up Waverly’s bare arms, wanting to offer all the comfort she could. “I’m so sorry, Waverly.”

Looking into compassionate brown eyes, her own filled with tears. The small act of kindness shown by Nicole ripped away what little control she’d had on her emotions. “I can’t believe he’s gone.”

Seated at a small table against the far wall, Shea watched her wife and Waverly interact, noted the subtle intimacy between them, the depth of love and affection. And in that moment she knew that no matter what Nicole might say, the truth was she still loved Waverly deeply, and Waverly still loved her.

Sitting together at the bar, Wynonna and Mercedes also watched Waverly and Nicole. “It’s not just me, is it?” Wynonna asked, watching Nicole’s hands slide up her baby sister’s arms in an act of comfort. “There is definitely something between those two.”

“There always was,” Mercedes nodded. “When you found one, you found the other. They always had each other’s back. Do you remember Waverly taking on the ice hockey boys when they surrounded Nicole and threatened to beat her up? Or Nicole fighting anyone who put Waverly down because she was an Earp?”

“I remember her fights with Champ, but then who can blame her?”

Also watching the scene was Champ, who got a sick feeling in his gut as he watched Purgatory’s newest deputy touch his wife. Jealousy kicked in as Waverly didn’t immediately move away from the cop’s touch. She had been brushing him off all afternoon. He didn’t know what was going on or had gone on between them in high school, he had heard the rumours, the whispers, but had always laughed them off because Waverly was too hot to be gay.

Then when she had agreed to go out with him he had been quick to tell everyone that she was his and the gossip stopped. But seeing them together for himself he wasn’t so confident. He had the sinking feeling he was losing Waverly.

Filled with the need to mark his territory, he finished his beer and slammed down the empty bottle before marching over and possessively taking hold of his wife, planting wet sloppy kisses up and down the side of her face, oblivious to how unresponsive she was to his ministrations. “It’s okay, babe. I’m fine,” he said between kisses.

Nicole backed off instantly, recognising the play for what it was.

Disappointed that Champ had ruined a moment between her and Nicole with his obnoxious behaviour, and horrified that he was treating her like some sort of trophy, Waverly stood motionless as he kissed her, hating every second of it, hating that he didn’t get that sloppy kisses weren’t what she needed right now. There was no call for such behaviour from him, she wasn’t a possession to be fought over.

It became clear he wasn’t going to stop any time soon and Waverly finally had enough. Patting his arm to get him to release her, she muttered unhappily, “Okay, Champ.”

Finally he stopped but didn’t move away. He draped a muscular arm across her shoulders and stared defiantly at Nicole, who had been doing her best to look anywhere but at the couple.

“I, um, I got your voicemail,” Waverly said, reaching for the redhead’s hand, her fingertips just brushing skin before sliding away again. “About Wynonna. Thanks for letting me know.”

Champ leaned his head against Waverly’s and held her a little tighter as Nicole’s gaze flicked from Waverly to him. “Thank you,” he murmured, an insincere smile on his face. “Waves knows she doesn’t have to worry about me, but Wynonna’s a different story.”

Furious that he was still acting the big man while putting her sister down, Waverly managed a wobbly smile as she glanced at him. “Wynonna said you were… real brave,” she gritted out.

He nodded. “I was.”

Nicole rolled her eyes. She had heard exactly how brave Champ had been. But now wasn’t the time to call him on it. She exhaled a breath she hadn’t realised she’d been holding and looked at Waverly. “No problem.” Her gaze flicked to Champ then back to Waverly. There was so much she wanted to say but wouldn’t, not while the man-child was there. “If you need to talk you have my number.”

Waverly nodded, not trusting herself to say anything. Watching Nicole walk away she fought the urge to call out to her to get her to stop and come back, wanting nothing more than to throw herself into Nicole’s arms not Champ’s. Tammy Wynette’s “Stand By Your Man” came on the jukebox like some sort of sign and made her think twice.

“I don’t know,” Champ muttered unhappily. “Something about her rubs me the wrong way. Miss Officer whats-her-face.”

“Haught. Nicole Haught.” Waverly knew he knew who Nicole was. They had all gone to school together, he had had enough fights with Nicole that he couldn’t possible forget her. But that was Champ, if you weren’t in his little bubble you were irrelevant. She shrugged out of his hold. “I have to go check in with Wynonna.”

*** * * * ***

Standing beside Shea, Nicole found herself tuning her wife out as she became distracted by Waverly walking across the bar to Wynonna’s side. She looked so vulnerable, so upset. Nicole ached to hold her.

“Nicole?”

Brown eyes blinked. “She said she was glad I called.”

Shea followed Nicole’s line of sight and saw exactly who had grabbed her wife’s attention. She got a bitter taste in her mouth. “I bet.”

Shaking away her thoughts about Waverly and her desire to be over there with her and Wynonna, Nicole focused on Shea. “Sorry, babe, what were you saying?”

Not happy in the slightest, but resigned to the fact that she was losing her wife, Shea picked up her glass and sipped at the white wine. “I said I didn’t realise Purgatory was so dangerous. We’ve been here a few weeks and two men have been murdered.”

Hearing the unhappiness in her wife’s tone, Nicole took a seat on the stool next to Shea. “It’s not usually like this.”

“You sold the idea of living here to me on the basis that it was safer than the city.”

“It is. Usually. Murder isn’t an every week occurrence.”

“Wasn’t Waverly’s father murdered?”

Nicole shifted. “Um, yeah, but that was—”

“She’s a dangerous woman to know.”

Confused by Shea’s attitude, Nicole frowned at her wife. “It’s not Waverly’s fault in any way.”

“And there you go defending her,” Shea huffed. She gulped what was left of her wine and set the glass back down heavily. She knew she had to be the bad guy, knew that sweet, loyal Nicole would never intentionally do anything to hurt her, would never give up on their relationship without trying every possible solution. “Nicole, we’re fighting for a marriage that isn’t going to work,” she stated, her heart breaking as the words were aired.

“What are you talking about? We’re trying, right? We said we’d try.”

Shea got up, just wanting to go home and seriously think about what was right for them, for her. “You’re still in love with her, Nicole. I don’t think you ever stopped.” Grabbing her jacket, she strode towards the door.

“Shea!”

Nicole’s loud pleading tone caught Wynonna and Waverly’s attention, the two sisters glancing in the direction of the fleeing couple.

“What’s that all about?” Wynonna asked.

“No idea.” It had looked heated and Waverly wondered if all was well between the couple. “Did Mercedes leave?”

“Toilet. Has chump-change stopped bragging about how heroic he was?”

“Not while he has an attentive audience.”

Hearing how unhappy her baby sister was, Wynonna looked at Waverly and saw the worry in her eyes, the tear stains on her cheek, and felt her heart break a little. Waverly deserved so much better than “Rodeo Clown” Hardy. “He’s cursed you know? People have been whispering all night about how the grim reaper will visit you if you go out with good old Champ or make plans to go out with him.”

Despite her best efforts not to, Waverly found herself smiling. “Stop.”

Wynonna shrugged. “Just passing on some interesting gossip.”

“These are the same people who whisper that we’re cursed, Wy.”

“Yeah, maybe it’s not us, maybe it’s been Champ all along.” She smiled as Waverly let out a genuine laugh. She wrapped a comforting arm around her sister’s shoulders. “It’s gonna be all right, baby girl.”

“Promise?”

“Big sister knows best promise,” Wynonna smiled.

Smiling, Waverly leaned into her sister, taking the comfort offered and offering some back. “How are you after today?”

Smile slipping, Wynonna wrapped her hand around her beer glass. “You know me, survivor to the core.” She glanced at her sister. “Have you spoken to Gus?”

“No. Why?”

“I overheard her on the phone. Apparently she and Curtis are part owners of Shorty’s.”

“No way. Why did they never tell us?”

Wynonna shrugged. “No idea. Anyway, because of recent events, she’s now sole owner.”

“Will she sell it, do you think?”

“I don’t think so.”

Gus wasn’t one for coming into town, she liked working her land, looking after Aurora, and staying away from the gossips who had made her nieces miserable when they were growing up. “She told you that?”

Not liking the worry in her sister’s eyes, Wynonna caved in and shared what she knew. “With Uncle Curtis gone, she said she needs something to keep her busy. Some company other than Aurora. With you already working here, she figures its something you two can do together.”

“Really? Because we’re not really talking right now.”

Wynonna shrugged. “You should really talk to her, Waves. We are running out of family members.”

“And you?” Waverly heard the hopefulness in her tone and hated that she was so obvious. “Would you stay and help out?”

“What do you want me hanging around for?”

“You’re my favourite sister and it would be nice if Aurora could get to know you.”

“Let me get a beer and maybe I can be persuaded.”

“You have money for another beer?” Waverly asked with a small smile.

“I have a kind and generous baby sister who happens to work at my favourite establishment.”

They turned to walk over to the bar, their progression halted by Stephanie Jones bursting through the doors with a wide smile on her face. “Take that, bitches. He’s broken up with that hussy he was with and wants to get back with me!”

Waverly sighed heavily, not surprised at the outcome. The small town dating pool meant you were never far away from an ex or a friend’s ex.

“What’s she talking about?” Wynonna asked in confusion.

“Chad left her and they divorced, but now apparently they’re getting back together,” Waverly explained. “There’s a whole world to explore, why do people stay here?”

“You stayed here, dude. Maybe Purgatory is where you’re supposed to be.”

Spring:

With her head on Nicole’s shoulder, their fingers laced together, Waverly stared out at the blue sky, utterly content with where she was. Curtis had left Wynonna, Waverly, and Nicole to muck out the barn while he saw to chores inside the main house. After ten minutes of what she called work Wynonna quit and disappeared leaving Waverly and Nicole alone. With newly confessed feelings to explore, they wasted no time in climbing up into the hay loft where they started making out.

Now, with their hair a mess and clothes dishevelled, they were laying together, knowing they should really get back to the job at hand but too content to move.

“Do you ever think about the future?”

Startled by the question, Nicole blinked as she tried to digest it. “The future?”

“Yeah. What do you want to do with your life? Where do you want to go? Where do you see yourself settling down?”

Chuckling lightly at the rapid fire questions, Nicole kissed the top of Waverly’s head. “I want us to travel the world together.”

Waverly lifted herself so she could look down at the redhead, eyes wide with wonder. “You do?”

“Yeah, all the places you’ve ever told me about. I want us to go and I want to follow you around and listen while you tell me the history of wherever.” Nicole smiled. “Because that’s my favourite thing to do in all the world. Listen to you talking passionately about something that interests you.”

Waverly settled back down, nestling tight against Nicole’s side. She liked the sound of that. Them together, Purgatory forgotten, nobody judging them or their love. “Then what?”

Nicole exhaled heavily. “I’ve been thinking about joining the police force.”

“Really?”

“Uh-huh. I want to help people, make the town feel safe, have a gun and a sexy uniform, and patrol car with flashing lights.”

Waverly burst out laughing. “You’re ridiculous.”

“Maybe. But you’re imagining it, right?” She grinned at the younger girl, dimples on show. “Me looking super sexy and bad ass in my police uniform, you watching on like I’m a hero as I arrest stupid Champ Hardy for drunken behaviour.”

Tracing an adorable dimple, Waverly suddenly realised what Nicole was saying. She sat up and stared down at the redhead in disbelief. “You mean here? You want to settle down and work here in Purgatory?”

“Only after we’ve been everywhere and seen everything.” She saw Waverly wasn’t happy with her dream of a future. “That’s just my idea on a future. What are your thoughts?”

Waverly picked up a strand of hay and started twirling it around,. “I never get further than leaving Purgatory. That’s been my dream since I was little. People here have always said my family is cursed, that Willa is a lunatic, that Wynonna is trouble.”

“You’ve changed their minds. They adore you.”

Waverly met brown eyes, feeling warm and happy that Nicole saw them together. “I do like your dream future.”

Nicole smiled. “You do, huh?”

“Uh-huh.” Waverly leaned down to kiss soft lips. “I like that you’ve imagined us together.”

Wrapping an arm around Waverly, her hand sliding slowly up and down Waverly’s back, Nicole returned the kiss, not caring that they didn’t really have time to get distracted again. “As long as you want me, Waves, I’ll be by your side.”

A nudge brought Waverly out of her fond memories and she smiled and hugged her best friend. “Hey you.”

“Hi, Waves. Happy thoughts?”

“Hmm?”

Chrissy smiled. “You looked like you were having happy thoughts. I can only assume they weren’t about Steph getting back with Chad.”

Hazel eyes flicked over to where Stephanie was showing off her ring to her groupies. “I was thinking that maybe I’m where I’m supposed to be.”

“Really? You’ve always complained about never getting out of Purgatory.”

“That was before the delicious Nicole Haught returned home,” Mercedes said, taking the stool next to Wynonna. “How are you, Chrissy?”

“Fine, thanks, Mercedes. How are you? Back living with Beth and Tucker, taking on a huge development project, you can’t have much time to spare.”

Mercedes smiled. “Busy, busy, busy. Thank God. I can’t imagine being stuck home all day with my douche-pecker brother.”

“It has nothing to do with Nicole,” Waverly said making all eyes turn back to her. “Maybe it’s just fate that I never left.”

“And fate that brought Nicole back?” Chrissy questioned.

Hearing it said out loud made Waverly feel guilty. “I’m married. She’s married.”

“The heart wants what the heart wants,” Wynonna spoke up, surprising them all with her insight. “And mine wants a beer.”

Rolling her eyes at the sister she wouldn’t change for the world, Waverly made her way back behind the bar to get them all a fresh round.

*** * * * ***

“You think we should separate?” Nicole repeated.

“You don’t?” Shea threw back. “Ever since we moved back here things have gotten worse between us.”

“They haven’t. Things are fine.”

“You don’t honestly believe that? You cannot be that blinkered.”

Nicole started pacing the room, trying to sort out her racing thoughts. She didn’t need this, not after the day she’d had. “I admit things haven’t been as slow-paced here as I was expecting, but things will settle down and then we’ll have time to—”

“You’re still in love with Waverly Earp, Nicole.” Staring at her wife as she whipped around to face her, Shea smiled sadly. “You still love her,” she reiterated. “I don’t think you ever truly stopped.”

“Hardy. Waverly Hardy. She’s married.”

“I saw you two together at Shorty’s,” Shea said softly. “You were comforting her. A simple act of kindness that showed me there is something there, something between you. It doesn’t matter that you’re both married to other people, sometimes love, fate, whatever you want to call it, can’t be stopped.”

“I take my wedding vows seriously, Shea.”

“You can’t remember your vows, Nicole! You were so drunk, you barely remember the ceremony.”

Nicole couldn’t argue that. “Doesn’t mean I don’t take them serious.”

“That’s why you’re one of the good ones,” Shea smiled adoringly. “Beautiful, noble, loyal. I won’t stand in your way. I love you enough to let you go, to give you a chance at the happy ending you always wanted. If I stay it’ll just make us both miserable and I deserve to be with someone who is my one and only. Someone who will look at me the way you look at Waverly.”

Resigned to the fact Shea was serious and honest enough to realise the truth in everything she was saying, Nicole walked over to the bed and sat down next to her. “I never meant to hurt you.”

Shea reached out and took Nicole’s hand. “I know. Sometimes things just work out the way they work out.”

“I’m sorry for making you move here.”

“I’m not. I got to see where you grew up, got to meet some of the quirky people you grew up with, and learned that small town living isn’t really for me.” She smiled. “I think this was a journey we had to take together to realise that our paths are different.”

Nicole nudged against Shea’s side. “You’re an amazing woman, Shea.”

“So are you, Nicole Haught.” She let go of the hand she held and took a deep breath. “I’m going to miss telling everyone I have a Haught wife.” She grinned impishly.

“Until we divorce you still have a Haught wife,” Nicole smiled.

“Tomorrow during my lunch break I’ll start looking for a place in the city.”

“No rush. You’re more than welcome to stay here for as long as you need.”

“That’s sweet of you but it’s a one bedroom house, Nic.”

“You can have the bed. The hours I’m putting in at the station, I’m hardly home.”

“We’re both adults, we could just share the bed,” Shea suggested. “Like you said, you’re working long crazy hours. You need all the rest you can get when you’re home and sleeping on the sofa won’t do you any favours.”

“You insisted that sofa was the most comfortable in all the world when we went shopping,” Nicole teased.

“It is, when you want somewhere to sit.”

“Well, if you’re sure.”

Shea smiled and nodded. Considerate and good, just two reasons why she had fallen for Nicole Haught. “Hey, Nicole,” she called out as the redhead headed for the bathroom. “I’m not the only one who noticed your interaction with Waverly. Her husband did too. I think that’s why he draped himself all over her.”

“Champ always was kind of a dickhead.”

“Be careful is what I’m getting at. A pissed off husband can be a dangerous thing.”

“Duly noted, Doctor.” Leaving the bedroom, Nicole’s smile faded. She knew exactly what Champ was capable of when the mood struck him, she’d had plenty of run-ins with him while in high school. She could only hope that he had matured with age.


	8. Chapter 8

**W** alking up to the front desk in the police station, Wynonna frowned as she laid eyes on her best friend. She hadn’t seen her Nicole over the last week and a half but she had heard some disturbing things about her. Since becoming a Purgatory Deputy, Nicole Haught was known and affectionately teased for always being well presented. She liked her uniform pressed just so, her shoes shining, and her hair neat and tied back in a French braid.

According to the town gossips it was like the body snatchers had invaded.

“Uh, hey, Tater-Haught,” Wynonna greeted cautiously. “You feeling okay?”

Looking up at the sound of the familiar voice, Nicole sighed. She was in no mood for Wynonna’s teasing today. “I’m fine. I feel fine. Why does everyone keep asking me that?”

“Maybe because your shirt’s inside out.”

“What?” Nicole frowned down at her uniform and sure enough her shirt was inside out. “Thanks a lot, guys. Why didn’t any of you tell me?” Standing up with the intention of going to the toilets to correct her mistake, she paused as she eyed Wynonna. “What are you doing here? If you’ve got a ticket, no, I can’t make it disappear.”

“Funny. Actually, I came by to see if you wanted to grab some lunch. We haven’t really hung out since I got back what with two funerals under our belts. Now it’s quiet, I thought this was a good a time as any.”

“You know you just jinxed it, right?”

“Did not.”

“Lunch on me?” Nicole guessed.

“Well, if you’re offering.” Wynonna grinned big and bright.

“I’m not, so you’re out of luck.” She moved around the brunette.

“What’s up with you today? You’re usually as cheerful as Waverly. Who, by the way, has not been her cheerful self.” She followed the redhead into the restroom and leaned against a sink while Nicole disappeared inside a stall. “Have you fallen out with Shea?”

From behind the locked cubicle door, Nicole squeezed her eyes shut. She really didn’t want to talk about the breakdown of her marriage right now. “Why would you think that?”

“The day of the robbery, after it had all gone down and we were at Shorty’s, you hustled out of the bar after Shea fled.”

Shirt on correctly, Nicole finished buttoning it up then unlocked the door and stepped out, looking at Wynonna. “I had no idea you were so observant. When we were kids you noticed nothing, heard nothing, didn’t know anything.”

Wynonna waved a hand dismissively. “I knew everything. I just chose to pretend I had no clue. It’s called being a teenager.”

“So, you know how Skip really caught pneumonia senior year?” Nicole asked, not convince Wynonna was telling the truth.

“He told everyone he fell through thin ice,” Wynonna recalled. “But really he went out into the woods and got drunk, stripped naked to prove he was a real manly man, then fell asleep. A hunter found him and got him to hospital, where he had to stay for two weeks. Brought a whole new meaning to blue balls.”

“And Perry Croft’s black eye?”

“Chrissy Nedley did a high kick in the middle of the corridor and her shoe flew off and caught him good.”

Nicole was impressed. “Why was Mr. Beauclerc fired?”

At this one Wynonna frowned. “I thought he retired?”

Nicole shook her head and smiled smugly for knowing something Wynonna didn’t. “He got caught in the stock cupboard handling himself.”

“No way!” Wynonna pulled a face of disgust. “He was so old!”

“The school didn’t want any negative press, so they agreed to drop the matter as long as he retired quietly.” She left the restroom, Wynonna hot on her heels.

“So, you and Shea?”

“What about us?” Nicole huffed. “You know, you should get a hobby.”

“You’re my hobby.”

Nicole sat down heavily in her chair and exhaled. “We’re separating.”

Wynonna hid her surprise well. “Because of one argument?”

“No, things haven’t been right for awhile.”

“Is she moving out? Are you moving out? I never did get to come to dinner. Is it too late?”

“She’s gonna move back to the city once she finds a place to live and I’ll stay here. In the meantime, we’re still sharing the house. I’ll see what she says about dinner.”

Wynonna frowned, not understanding the dynamics. “What if you want to bring someone home?”

“Wynonna,” Nicole sighed wearily. “My marriage has just broken down. I’m not the type to run out and meet someone new.”

An idea came to Wynonna. A great idea. The best idea ever. “Best friend night out!”

“No!” Nicole shook her head. “I’m not going out tonight.” She was adamant.

*** * * * ***

Eyes wide, Nicole looked around Pussy Willow’s, brown eyes taking in the sleazy knocker locker, or at least trying to. It was a lot to take in. The music was loud and thumping, the dancers were wearing barely anything, and the bar was sticky and covered in puddles of spilt beer. At least she hoped it was spilt beer.

“So, this is Pussy Willow’s, huh?”

“The wrong side of the wrong side of the tracks,” Wynonna replied.

“It’s—” Nicole trailed off, watching a very athletic dancer swing around a pole.

“A lot. I know,” Wynonna nodded. She threw back her shot and indicated to the barman that she wanted another two.

“Why are we here?”

“To cheer you up, best buddy. What sort of friend would I be if I didn’t bring you to see lots of nearly naked chicks dancing suggestively.” She picked up the untouched shot glass in front of Nicole. “Here, you gotta keep up.”

Looking at the green liquid, the sensible part of Nicole told her not to drink it. “Maybe I shouldn’t.”

“Uh, yes, you should. It’s not every day your wife leaves you.”

“Oh, dude,” the barman grimaced. “This one’s on me.” He poured them two shots of something red.

“Score,” Wynonna grinned triumphantly.

Huffing out a breath, Nicole took the shot of green liquid from Wynonna and downed it, pulling a face as she got a taste of something bitter. “Bluh, what was that?”

“Not sure, we’re going through the list.” Wynonna smiled as Nicole rolled her eyes. “I’m being a good friend and trying to cheer you up.”

“With too much alcohol and scantily-clad women dancing around poles?”

“And later, a lap dance.”

“What?” Nicole was horrified by the thought.

“Hey, don’t knock it until you’ve done it.”

“Done it? Done what exactly?”

“Hey, Aphrodite!” A bear of a man greeted. “Back to give us another twirl?”

Wynonna cringed as the man’s meaty hands grasped her shoulders, his lips too close for comfort. “No. Tonight I’m just here with my friend.”

“Crowd loves a double act,” he leered.  
“I’m retired and she’s only here to drink.”

Watching the man with the large beer gut waddle off, Nicole looked at Wynonna in amusement. “Who’s Aphr—oh!” She realised the horrible truth as she saw the sheepish look on Wynonna’s face.

“Surprise.”

“Strangely, I’m not.”

Wynonna scowled at her as she picked up her beer. “I think I’m offended.”

“Don’t be. You had a great body, it makes sense you would have used it to your advantage to make some easy cash.”

“Had a great body? You’re digging a hole for yourself, Haught!”

“That’s not… you look… your body is… top shelf.” She stammered her way along, praying for a distraction so they could put this behind them.

“Damn straight!” Wynonna nodded. “I know you want me, it’s okay.”

Nicole spluttered, eyes wide once again. “I do not!”

“Ours is a love that can never be.”

Nicole threw back her red shot, pleasantly surprised at the flavour of raspberries. “When did you dance here?”

“After high school, before I left town with the Banditos to find myself.” She took a healthy glug of beer as memories of that time in her life came back to her.

“Did you?”

“What?”

“Find yourself.”

Wynonna grimaced. “I found something,” she muttered.

“And it wasn’t what you were looking for?”

“Not really. Why are we talking about this?”

Nicole shrugged. “I’m curious. We haven’t sat down and talked in years.”

Wynonna picked up her beer again, the hurt she felt at being abandoned and ignored surfacing. “That’s what happens when you leave your best friend behind and don’t come back.”

“I left for college, Wy. And you were going to come visit me.”

“Which I did.”

“Once! And that was to tell me Waverly was getting married and you were going to Greece.”

“Yeah, well, you went to Vegas without me.”

“I’m sorry.” She really was.

“Got married without me.”

“I got married in front of two strangers because we couldn’t find our friends.” Nicole looked at Wynonna. “Would you have let me get married if you had been with us?”

“Yeah, probably. We both know I’m a bad influence on you.” Her gaze flicked over to the stage as the song changed, a new dancer appearing. “Why did Shea leave you? I always thought you’d be a good wife.”

“You did?”

“You’re so damn sweet and loyal and blah, blah, blah.”

That was as close to a compliment as she was going to get. “We’ve been struggling for awhile,” Nicole admitted, barely audible over the thumping dance beat. “I don’t think we would have got married if we hadn’t gone to Vegas and got stupid drunk.”

“You didn’t love her?”

“I did, just… not enough.” Picking up her beer, Nicole drank heartily, really not wanting to have this conversation while relatively sober.

“Did she love you?”

“I like to think so.”

“Not enough to go to counselling?”

“We tried to work through our problems, but moving here proved to her that she wants to be in the city and that I want small town living.”

“Uh-huh.” Wynonna wasn’t convinced that was the whole story. “Is there someone else?” She watched Nicole choke on her beer. “Oh, my God, there is! Who is it, some fancy doctor?”

Realising Wynonna thought it was Shea who was into someone else, Nicole tried to think of an answer while regaining her composure. “There’s no one else. We came to a mutual agreement that we’re not right for each other.”

“So, I don’t have to beat her up for breaking your adorable little heart?”

Nicole smiled and shook her head, touched that Wynonna cared enough to come to her defence. “But thank you for having my back.”

Wynonna waved off the gratitude. “So, single and ready to mingle. Now, if I could get Waverly to leave the rodeo clown, life would be grand.”

“You can’t break them up just because you don’t like him, Wynonna. They’re married. They have a child together.”

“She deserves better. Aurora deserves better.” She looked at the redhead in interest. “How are you with kids?”

Nicole felt the blood rushing to her cheeks and hoped the low lighting in the bar hid her blush. “There’s nothing between us. I don’t know where you get your crazy ideas from.”

Wynonna smirked. “There’s a lot between you two. I have eyes, Nicole. Remember when we were in high school and you got into a fight with Champ and his idiot friends?”

“I had a couple of run-ins with Champ and his friends. Which time?”

“We overheard him talking about Waverly and her innocence,” Wynonna clarified.

Champ had been mouthing off about the Earps being cursed but that he was willing to give Waverly a cursory fuck so she didn’t die a virgin. Nicole had seen red and let him know exactly what she thought of him by punching him on the nose.

“You don’t do that for someone you don’t care about,” Wynonna summed up.

“She was my friend. Your baby sister. What sort of friend would I be if I didn’t stand up for her. You were there, you were mad too.” She picked up her beer and finished off what was left.

“What about when we were fourteen?”

“What about it?” She tried to wave down the barman, keen for a refill and to distract Wynonna from this conversation.

“Waverly got an anonymous valentine’s day card.”

“Waverly is beautiful and the sweetest person in Purgatory, of course she got a card on valentine’s.”

Wynonna smiled knowingly. “She got a card that I saw you eyeing up.”

“That’s a coincidence.”

“Uh-huh.”

“I heard it was Perry,” Nicole blurted out. A complete lie, it had been her. She had seen the card with adorable puppies and a soppy message and knew she had to get it for Waverly because she was a dork. A lovesick dork who just wanted to see Waverly happy.

“Perry Croft?”

Nicole nodded, eyes wide and portraying false innocence.

“Huh.” Wynonna finished her beer and wiggled her fingers at the barman who instantly walked over. “Two more beers and two shots we haven’t tried yet.”

“Sure thing.”

Nicole frowned unhappily. “Why doesn’t he come running when I wave at him?”

“Maybe because he knows you had a wife and aren’t interested. Or, it might have something to do with my cleavage.” She looked down at her chest and gave a little jiggle. “You get shit done when you show a little boob.” Looking up, she caught Nicole also looking at her chest. “Dude, are you checking me out?”

“No!” Nicole’s voice was high-pitched and laced with guilt.

“I’m telling Waverly,” Wynonna teased.

“Please don’t.”

“See, you care what she thinks.”

Brown eyes rolled. “I just don’t want to disappoint her. You know that look she gets on her face when she’s disappointed? Like when she caught us smoking in Curtis’s barn.”

“Oh, yeah.” Wynonna hated that look. “Sad, disappointed Waverly is a bad thing.”

“Is everything square between you and Waverly now?”

“A lot less frosty, for sure. Can’t say the same for her relationship with Gus.”

Not understanding, Nicole frowned. “What happened with Gus?”

“Jesus, you two really don’t talk any more, do you? I forced Gus to tell Waves the truth about what happened way back when. About what Gus told you.”

“Why would you do that?” Nicole shook her head. “You had no right to turn her life upside down, Wynonna.”

“She’s not happy, Nicole.”

“That’s not for you to decide!” Realising they were causing a scene, she lowered her voice. “Waverly is her own woman, she has to live her own life whatever way she wants.”

“She’s not living her own life!” Wynonna snapped. “If she was she’d be with you! Too many people have influenced her into living a lie.”

“It was her choice,” Nicole said quietly.

“Really? Then why is it I used to hear her crying herself to sleep after you left, huh? She became a shell of a person, the bubbly girl who followed us around gone and replaced with a puppet, doing whatever her friends wanted her to do. She was never herself when she was with them.”

Nicole decided to lay her cards on the table. Wynonna was blaming Gus and it wasn’t all her fault. “I told Waverly I wanted us to be out, to be a real couple, to tell everyone what we were to each other. She called it a fling, said maybe it wasn’t what she wanted in life. She was so scared about what people in town thought of her, I don’t think she even considered—” She shook her head. “It doesn’t matter. What happened happened and we’ve both moved on.”

Picking up the two new shots the barman set in front of them, Wynonna held one out for Nicole to take.

Nicole downed the shot, then wished she hadn’t as strong rum burned its way down her throat. “Let’s not talk about this any more. We both know you don’t really want to have this conversation.”

Realising she needed to get Nicole a lot more drunk to loosen her up and get her talking, Wynonna downed her shot and slammed the glass down on the bar. “Grab your beer and follow me. We’re going bull riding.” Before Nicole could protest, she grabbed the redhead’s hand and tugged her off the stool, leading the way over to the mechanical bull, determined to show Nicole a good time and get some truth out of her.

*** * * * ***

Hours later, horribly drunk and her thighs burning from the workout she had got from the mechanical bull, Nicole stumbled out of Pussy Willow’s having the unshakable feeling she was going to bring up the numerous peppermint schnapps shots she had drunk. Discovering them, she had indulged after deciding she liked them very much.

“Where are we going, Wynonna. We should… we should stay and get another dance.”

“Fantasia was pretty good at what she was doing.” Wynonna grinned. “But I think you’ve had enough for one night.”

“Pft, no,” Nicole waved her off, then got distracted by how magical her hand was. “I could ride the bull all night.”

“You telling me your thighs ain’t burning?”

“Work through the pain.”

“I’ll remind you of that tomorrow when you wake up in agony.”

“Let’s go back in a give Candy Cane a run for her money on the pole!”

Wynonna laughed out loud. “You’re a funny drunk and I could stand here and listen to you all night.”

“Thanks.”

Feeling the alcohol she had consumed swimming through her system, Wynonna’s eyes closed for what she thought was a blink only to pop open in surprise minutes later. “I wasn’t asleep, I can handle my liquor.”

Confused, Nicole nodded. “Okay.”

“I called Waverly to come pick us up.”

“Noooo! She’s gonna be mad.”

“No, she’s fine.” She was mad on the phone. “Don’t worry, she usually directs it at me.”

“Usually,” Nicole pouted, remembering recently Waverly seemed unhappy with her at every opportunity.

“If she is really mad, you should kiss her,” Wynonna decided. “Short-circuit her brain.”

“I’d do a lot of things to her,” Nicole grinned.

“What?”

“For her,” the redhead corrected. “I’d do a lot of things for her.”

“Dude,” Wynonna chuckled. “We’re totally wasted. You more than me.” They stumbled down the alleyway, clinging to each other as they tried to keep each other upright. “For the record, I would totally have been cool with you and Waves being a thing back when we were little,” she announced. “Not little little, but little.”

“You woulda punched me.”

“I woulda have punched you,” Wynonna snorted in agreement. “But then I would have been okay with it.”

A vehicle turned down the alleyway, headlights blinding them and obscuring the driver, as the vehicle hurtled towards them. They stopped and waited, Nicole wondering how fast she could push Wynonna out of the way and jump clear herself in her drunken state and how much it was all going to hurt.

Luckily it didn’t come to that.

A very familiar red jeep screeched to a halt and a petite, pissed off Waverly jumped out, glaring at them. “Do you know how many strip joints I had to go to in an effort to find you?”

“You’re pretty and I like you a lot,” Nicole blurted out because the alcohol she had consumed convinced her now was the right time.

“And you’re drunk!” Waverly glared at her older sister. “You got her drunk? You know she doesn’t have a high tolerance for alcohol.”

“She needed it, baby girl.” Wynonna put a hand to her mouth and didn’t whisper at all like she had intended when she said, “Her supermodel wife dumped her.”

Surprised to hear that, Waverly glanced at Nicole who was swaying unsteadily. She felt bad and yet elated at the same time. “Oh.” She shook her head to rid herself of thoughts of comforting Nicole with a warm embrace and returned to glaring at Wynonna. “What’s your excuse?”

“She’s my best friend and it’s wrong to let a friend drink alone.”

“Get in the jeep,” Waverly huffed. She hadn’t been pleased when her phone rang at ten past one in the morning and had been less thrilled when Wynonna had hung up before telling her exactly where they were. She had thrown on the nearest clothes then shook Gus awake to tell her she was going to pick up Wynonna, could she please keep an ear out for Aurora.

“We drank Christmas!” Nicole exclaimed.

“It was a peppermint shot,” Wynonna explained.

“And got a lap dance. You’re better than Sugar Cane, Wavesly. Waversly. Waves,” Nicole grinned.

“Candy Cane,” Wynonna corrected.

“You dance way better,” Nicole continued, ignoring the interruption. “Remember that time—?”

“In the jeep now!”

Wynonna smirked at her sister. “Did you do a sexy private dance for Haught-shot when we were younger, Waverly?”

Taking Nicole’s arm, Waverly led her to the idling jeep and helped her into the back. “Come on, Wynonna. I don’t want to be out all night dealing with you two.”

“It was a cheer dance,” Nicole said helpfully. “A very—”

“Stop talking!” Waverly pleaded.

“I knew that was why you joined the cheer squad. A cheerleader and her jock, a classic love story,” Wynonna grinned.

“That’s not why I joined.” Not entirely why she joined.

“Head for the homestead, baby girl,” Wynonna directed as she slid into the passenger seat. “We’ll sleep it off there.”

“No one’s lived there since Willa up and left. It’ll be dirty and cold. And no one will be able to help if you fall down the stairs and break something.” Waverly got into the driver’s seat. “We’ll head to Gus’s. Nicole can sleep it off on the sofa.”

“She’s too long for the sofa. She should sleep with you.”

Brown eyes widened, Nicole’s mouth falling open as her brain short-circuited with naughty thoughts.

“Good idea, Wynonna. And what should I tell my husband?” Waverly asked sarcastically.

“That you’ve got an upgrade.” The brunette put up her hand for a high-five, which was first ignored by Waverly then by Nicole. Scowling, she high-fived herself. “Not that he’s rung you once since leaving town.” She wiggled her eyebrows. “Live a little. I won’t tell.”

“I’ll take the sofa, Waves, it’s no problem,” Nicole spoke up.

Angry at Nicole for letting Wynonna be such a bad influence on her, Waverly huffed as she started the jeep. “It was never up for debate, Nicole.”

*** * * * ***

Up bright and early as was her custom, Gus made her way downstairs with the intention of making herself a cup of coffee and enjoying the silence and stillness of her home before anyone else rose. The same old stairs creaked under foot, she could hear birdsong outside from the noisy family that had built a nest nearby, everything was as it usually was, but as she walked past the living room, she happened to glance in and what she saw made her stop mid-stride.

Frowning and wondering if she had seen what she thought she’d seen, Gus turned back and looked through the doorway properly. She wasn’t mistaken. There were two feet hanging off the end of her sofa, one sock on, one sock off. Gaze trailing up long legs, up the slumbering body, she eventually came to wild red locks and realised it was none other than Deputy Nicole Haught crashed out.

Shaking her head and needing coffee before she did anything, Gus set off for the kitchen, hoping Waverly would have some answers for her. Actually, she just hoped Waverly would talk to her. Things had been icy between them since Wynonna’s revelation.

She was halfway through her second coffee when her youngest niece walked into the kitchen, for once not looking her perky self. Having had time to think, Gus remembered Waverly waking her and saying something about Wynonna, then hearing a car start up in the early hours of the morning. Having found Nicole on her sofa, could only assume it was Wynonna’s doing somehow.

“Care to tell me why Nicole Haught is asleep on my sofa?”

“Wynonna took her out drinking last night. To Pussy Willow’s, if you can believe that!” Grabbing a mug, Waverly set about making herself a tea. “Then, Wynonna thought it would be a good idea to phone me in the early hours of this morning to see if I could go and pick them up, and when I got there they were in a right state.”

“I can imagine.”

“So, I offered Nicole the sofa.” She glanced over her shoulder. “I know you don’t like her, but I couldn’t let them go and stay at the homestead.”

“I like Nicole, Waverly. What I did—”

“And I don’t think she wanted to go home,” Waverly continued, ignoring Gus’s attempt at an explanation. “So, I brought them here. I didn’t think you’d mind.”

“I don’t. Was surprised is all.” She was a stubborn lady and Waverly was no lightweight in that department either, she wasn’t going to able to fix things between them in the blink of an eye. “She’s a good kid,” she said of Nicole. “She doesn’t want to be letting Wynonna rub off on her.”

“Shea left her. That’s why they were out.” Waverly jumped to the defence of the pair. “Wynonna was trying to cheer Nicole up. Like a good friend.”

“By taking her to Pussy Willow’s?” Gus chuckled. “Good Lord!”

Waverly smiled. “Her heart was in the right place.”

“That’s the problem with your sister, her heart is usually in the right place but she doesn’t stop to think things through. Was taking poor Nicole to a sleazy club really what she needed, or would she have preferred a night in and a shoulder to cry on?”

Waverly didn’t have an answer to that. She didn’t know what Nicole preferred these days. In the past she knew neither her sister nor Nicole were the crying together type, but these days? She couldn’t say. Tea ready, she joined her aunt at the table, aware of the tension that hung in the air between them.

It was Gus who tried to break the ice. “So, when is Champ due back?”

“The Lufkin event ends today but he doesn’t usually head for home straight away. With tomorrow being Sunday, he’ll probably get drunk with the boys tonight, then spend all day tomorrow sleeping it off before heading back. So, maybe late Monday.”

Gus shook her head. “He should think about getting a permanent job here in Purgatory. He’s missing a lot of Aurora’s early achievements.”

“He thinks his luck has changed since he won first prize.” Waverly looked at her aunt and noticed how tired she looked, the lines on her face a little more pronounced from the stress of recent events. “How are you, Gus?” she asked, putting aside her anger at her aunt for the time being.

Surprised by the enquiry, Gus nonetheless smiled. “I’m taking each day as it comes. It’s been a hell of a couple of months, let me tell you.”

“Us being here can’t be helping matters. Aurora and I will move back to our place tomorrow.”

“Nonsense!” Gus dismissed. “Having you here has been my whole reason for getting up each day. That little girl of yours can make me smile without even trying.”

“We can’t stay here forever, Gus. I think Wynonna’s going to move back in to the homestead and I...” Waverly fidgeted with her cup.“I’ve been thinking about moving back as well.”

“To the homestead? I didn’t think you’d stepped foot on Earp land since you were a little girl.”

“I’ve been back.” Summer nights spent with Nicole flashed through her head. “Champ thinks it’s a good idea. We’re paying rent on an apartment when we could be staying at the homestead for nothing.”

Gus looked at her niece, trying to work out if it was something Waverly really wanted or something she was being pushed into. “You do whatever is best for you and Aurora, Waverly. Though, I sure will miss the pair of you around here.”

“If you don’t want to be out here alone, you could always take the apartment above the bar,” Waverly suggested, knowing there was a small room big enough for Gus. “Be around company.”

“I’m not giving up my home.” Gus shook her head. “No, I’ll be fine out here. I could do without all the paperwork I’ve been left with is all,” she growled, a woman of action not pen pushing. “Who knew tying up the loose ends of someone’s life required filling in so much paperwork!” She looked into hazel eyes. “How do you really feel about me keeping Shorty’s Saloon? I know it was never your life’s ambition to be a small-town barmaid.”

Waverly’s gaze flicked to the kitchen doorway as Nicole stumbled in, the redhead looking adorable as she sleepily rubbed at her eyes. “Everyone I love is here,” she murmured, her heart fluttering. Nicole had no right to look that adorable after the wild night she’d had, but she did, even with her hair standing at angles, eyes sleepy, and a soft embarrassed smile curling her lips.

“Hi,” she greeted in a sexy sleep-roughened voice that made Waverly feel all fuzzy.

“Morning,” Waverly managed to utter back, fantasies of waking up to that voice making her squirm in her seat.

Intelligent, wise old eyes flicked from Waverly to Nicole and back again, Gus feeling the air shift in the small kitchen. She felt like she was a voyeur to something unstoppable as she saw for herself the love shining between them, the unspoken want they had for each other even after years apart. Clearing her throat, she got to her feet. “Well, I’m going to go and claim the shower before anyone else does.” She looked directly at Waverly. “I suppose Aurora will be up any minute.”

Waverly felt like a scolded child and felt more than a little guilty for the thoughts she had been entertaining. Her aunt feeling the need to remind her of her daughter made her realise she wasn’t hiding her feelings as well as she should be. Feelings she shouldn’t be having at all. She idly wondered if Gus was disgusted with her, then decided she didn’t care. Gus had interfered in her life once before and put her on a path she might not be walking otherwise.

As Gus left the kitchen, Nicole moved to take the seat the older woman had given up. “God, I feel terrible,” she groaned.

Waverly almost blurted out that she did too but then caught herself when she realised they were thinking along different lines. Having the redhead so close had her feeling all out of sorts. “Did you have a good time with Wynonna last night?”

Nicole smiled. “Have you ever been out with Wynonna and not had a good time? I’m just surprised there wasn’t a bar fight.” Her smile dimmed, a small frown creasing her brow. “There wasn’t, right?”

Waverly shook her head. “Not that you told me.”

“What did I tell you?” The deputy was aware that she was an emotional drunk with a habit of blurting things out that were probably best left unsaid.

“You successfully rode the mechanical bull and you could give Candy a run for her money,” Waverly chuckled.

“Candy?”

“One of the dancers.”

Nicole groaned, hating to imagine what she had got up to. “Remind me to never go out with Wynonna again!”

“Can I uh… can I get you some breakfast?”

The way she was feeling, Nicole wasn’t sure she could handle food.

“How about a coffee?” Waverly offered. “Or there’s orange juice.”

“Coffee. Black. Thank you.”

Nodding, Waverly got up. “I’ll make you some toast and fried eggs. That always seems to make Wynonna feel better after a night of drinking.” She poured a strong black coffee and handed it to Nicole before turning her attention to making the redhead breakfast. She found the situation very domestic and hated herself for liking the role. “Did Gus tell you to stay away from me?” she asked softly, her back to Nicole. She had heard what had happened from Wynonna but wanted it confirmed or denied by someone outside of family.

Nicole blinked, trying to digest the question while hungover. “What? No.”

“Before you left town for college,” Waverly clarified. She turned to look at Nicole, watching her face closely. The redhead had never been able to lie to her and s he saw the answer without Nicole saying a word. “She did,” she breathed, hurt and angry that someone who was supposed to love her had interfered in her life in such a life changing way.

“She was doing what she thought was best for you, Waves. I see that now.”

“Don’t defend her!”

“Okay.” Angry Waverly should be handled carefully. “But, put aside your feelings for a second and look at it from her point of view.”

It was the wrong thing to say.

“I can’t believe you let her convince you so easily!” Waverly snapped, not interested in looking at things from her aunt’s point of view. “You said you loved me, you wanted to shout about our love to everyone, wanted to publicly date, wanted to settle down with me here in Purgatory, and yet the moment Gus asked you to back off you did!”

“To be fair, you weren’t even talking to me by then. You were doing everything you could to avoid me.”

Waverly angrily cracked two eggs into the frying pan. “I was scared of how you made me feel, Nicole.”

“Exactly! You weren’t ready. I got that then and I get it now. And it turned out I wasn’t ready either. When Gus started talking about people gossiping and you being left behind to deal with it, I realised the timing was all wrong for us. She was right, Waverly, you didn’t deserve to have your life turned upside down by me, by idle gossip, not when you weren’t even sure what you wanted.”

Before the conversation could go any further, they heard a plaintive, “Mama!”

“Oh, shoot!” Waverly looked away from the sizzling pan to the kitchen doorway then to Nicole. “Um, can you take over here while I go and grab her? She’ll only start screaming louder if I ignore her and then Wynonna will—”

“Hey,” Nicole interrupted with a smile. “Go.” She stood and moved across to the cooker, taking the spatula out of Waverly’s hand. “I can’t wait to meet her.”

Smiling as she again got a warm fuzzy feeling in her chest, Waverly shook inappropriate thoughts away and hurried out of the kitchen. By the time she got back, the eggs were done but Nicole had forgotten to put the toast on. “Here.” She thrust her daughter at the redhead, then quickly took control of the cooking once again.

Brown eyes went comically wide. It wasn’t that she didn’t get on with children, she just hadn’t dealt with many. While Waverly was busy putting bread in the toaster, Nicole stared at Aurora and Aurora stared back. “Um, hi.”

“Hi.”

Turning, Waverly’s breath caught in her chest at the scene that greeted her. The love of her life was cradling her daughter like she was the most delicate thing on Earth, awe in both their eyes as they sized each other up.

“You’re big,” Aurora declared, making Nicole laugh.

“I am.” Nicole lifted the little girl above her head so that she was hanging in the air, making Aurora squeal in delight. “That’s what happens when you eat all your carrots. You grow up big and strong.”

“Spin me! Spin me!”

Nicole lowered the little girl. “Not today. I’m feeling a little ill this morning and will probably throw up on you if we spin.”

“Eww, Nicole,” Waverly pulled a face.

Grinning, Nicole shrugged.

“Aurora, this is Nicole. Say hello to mama’s friend.”

Instantly liking the tall woman, Aurora smiled brightly as she played with the ends of Nicole’s hair. “Hi, Nico.”

“She has a little trouble with her l’s,” Waverly explained. “Little is ickle, love you is wuve you. We’re working on it.” As the toaster popped, she turned back to finish making Nicole’s breakfast.

“With you as her teacher, she’ll be reading Latin in no time.” Taking a seat at the table with Aurora on her lap, Nicole watched Waverly move effortlessly around while Aurora chatted away excitedly. She felt a pang of regret that this wasn’t their life. She felt heart sick that this could have been their life if Waverly hadn’t been too scared to stand up for what she really wanted and if she herself hadn’t taken what Gus said to heart and backed off completely.

“There we go,” Waverly said with a flourish, turning to set a plate in front of Nicole. “Oh, Aurora! Here, let me take her so you can eat.” She reached for her daughter.

“No, it’s okay. She’s fine.” Nicole smiled. “Aren’t you, Miss Aurora?”

Enamoured with the redhead, Aurora nodded.

“If you’re sure?” Waverly wanted to be certain it was okay. She knew Champ hated their daughter hanging all over him when he had a hangover and was trying to eat.

“Uh-huh. I could use some cutlery, though.”

“Oh! And coffee. Do you want another coffee?”

“Yes, please. Aren’t you eating?”

Waverly waved off the question. “I’ll eat once I’ve seen to everyone else.” She poured a fresh mug of coffee then open the cutlery drawer. “So, you and Shea have broken up?” She thought she sounded casual. She hoped she sounded casual. Turning, she saw the confusion on Nicole’s face. “Wynonna mentioned it last night.”

“Mm. It had been on the cards. Things weren’t right between us for awhile.” She took the cutlery Waverly held out. “Thanks.”

“But you moved here together,” Waverly pointed out as she set the coffee down.

“Yeah. I convinced her it would be a fresh start for us. Problem is Shea realised small town living wasn’t for her.”

Retreating back across the kitchen, Waverly leaned against the counter. “She couldn’t try and make it work for the sake of your marriage?”

“To be honest, if we hadn’t got married the way we did I don’t think we would have ever taken the step.” Nicole pointed her fork at her breakfast. “This is great, Waves. I can’t remember the last time I had a cooked breakfast.”

“Shea never made you breakfast?”

“She’s not much of a cook. Even when she has a day off, she prefers ordering in or going out somewhere to eat.”

Waverly wanted to tell Nicole that she would cook every morning if they were together, wanted to say that she wouldn’t let Nicole leave the house until she was fed and neatly dressed, ready to face the day head on. She bit her lip and remained quiet.

“I don’t think either of us ever saw our relationship getting to the marriage stage,” Nicole confessed, getting back to the subject of her relationship with Shea. “But the bright lights of Vegas are intoxicating and if you throw in too much alcohol and a surprise win on the slot machines, it seemed like a good idea.”

“Were you married by Elvis?” Waverly smirked.

“I honestly don’t remember much about it. Shea told me the next day that we couldn’t find the friends who were with us, so we had to beg a passing couple to come in and be our witnesses. What about your wedding? Did you get everything you ever wished for?” She didn’t really want to hear about it, but asking was the friendly thing to do.

Before Waverly could answer Wynonna walked into the kitchen. “Champ turned up drunk and after the service got drunker and started a brawl involving almost everyone from town. Nedley arrested him.”

“Aunt Nonna!” Aurora greeted loudly, making Nicole wince.

“He arrested you too, Wy,” Waverly added.

“Hello, my favourite niece. Have you sung Nicole that song you like? Really loudly.”

“No, she hasn’t,” Waverly spoke up before her daughter could launch into singing. “Because we’re talking and it would be what, Aurora?” She looked at her daughter for an answer.

“Wude.”

“Rude, that’s right.” Waverly looked pointedly at her sister. “And unlike you, Wynonna, Aurora is well behaved.” She thought of all the times Aurora had thrown her food and got herself into mischief and backtracked. “Most of the time.”

Smirking, Wynonna turned her attention to Nicole. “Was it a wild dream or did we drink the entire cocktail list at Pussy Willow’s last night?”

“No dream. I never want to see a peppermint schnapps again!”

“Ah, but they taste like Christmas,” Wynonna grinned. “How are your thighs? Aching like a mother?”

“Who knew riding a bull was so strenuous,” Nicole groaned.

“You wanted to go back for more!” Wynonna laughed. “Did you make that?” she asked of the cooked breakfast.

“No, Waverly was kind enough to make it.”

The brunette looked at her younger sister expectantly. “Can I get a plate?”

“After waking me up at stupid o’clock to come pick your drunk butt up?” Waverly questioned.

“If you let me do it I’ll probably burn down Gus’s kitchen.”

Realising the truth in that, Waverly sighed and got on with making her sister’s breakfast.

“So, Aurora, how old are you?” Nicole asked softly.

“Thwee.”

“Three whole years, huh. Do you like being three?”

The little girl nodded. “I play.”

“What’s your favourite thing to play?”

“Gus has been teaching her how to catch a ball,” Waverly spoke up. “Isn’t that right, honey?”

“That sounds like fun. What else do you enjoy? Are you wild like your aunt Wynonna?”

Aurora giggled and shook her head. “I’m good.”

“I bet you are,” Nicole smiled. “Just like your mama.” Her gaze flicked to Waverly, who blushed.

Aware of Wynonna watching on, Waverly cleared her throat, willing her cheeks to stop burning. “We’ve um, been learning Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star haven’t we, Aurora?”

The little girl nodded. “And ABC.”

“We’ve got as far as d with that one,” Waverly confessed.

“Your cool aunt will teach you some proper songs,” Wynonna grinned.

“Wynonna, she’s three. At least wait until she’s five before corrupting her,” Waverly scolded.

“Sooner the better. She’ll be the coolest three year old on the playground.”

Nicole finished her breakfast, guzzled the last of her coffee, then got to her feet. “I better be going.”

“You don’t have to rush off,” Waverly assured her, not wanting her to go.

“It’s my first day off since starting and I have a mass of laundry that needs doing, food shopping to go and get, and Shea wants to discuss how to split everything.” She puffed out her cheeks, not looking forward to taking care of business while hungover. “Thank you for breakfast, Waverly.”

“You’re welcome. Let me call you a taxi. I drove you here last night so you have no way of getting back into town.” She put a plate down in front of Wynonna, then turned to the phone.

“Saturday night, feel like a trip to Shorty’s?” Wynonna asked Nicole.

“Last night was a one-off. We were blowing off steam, catching up after years apart, having some fun. But I can’t do it back to back.”

“Lightweight.”

Taxi ordered, Waverly looked at her sister. “Can you watch Aurora a minute. I’m going to see Nicole out.”

“Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”

Nicole wiggled her fingers at Aurora. “Bye, Aurora.”

The little girl smiled brightly. “Bye, Nico.”

“I think you’ve made a friend for life,” Waverly said as they walked towards the front door.

“I could use all the friends I can get.”

At the door, Nicole outside on the porch, Waverly inside with the door held close, they stood staring silently at each other. Both had so much to say but neither daring to.

“So, um, if you need to talk,” Waverly said tentatively.

“Call someone else?”

“Yeah, totally,” Waverly smiled. Her smile faded. “Don’t let Wynonna take you out drinking every night. She means well, but drinking away your problems solves nothing.”

Nicole nervously stuffed her hands into her jeans pockets. “I’m not a big drinker usually, but things have been crazy at work and I wanted to blow off some steam with Wynonna.”

“Who knew you would be so busy back here in Purgatory.”

“I know, right? I was expecting slow days where our biggest concern was someone complaining about their bins being knocked over.” Her smile faded as she remembered what she had faced. “I really am sorry we haven’t got anywhere in Curtis’s case.”

“I know you’re doing everything possible.” The air was crackling with tension as they stared into each other’s eyes. “Nicole—”

Feeling the tension and not wanting to deal with it, Nicole briskly changed the subject. “So, uh, tell Gus her sofa isn’t the most comfortable to sleep on.”

Disappointed at being shut down but realising now probably wasn’t the time, Waverly smiled. “Yeah, she knows. She keeps saying she’s going to buy a new one. But, if you’re going to be out getting drunk with Wynonna and then crashing here, maybe I’ll tell her to hold off. Make you suffer a little.”

Nicole laughed. “I forgot how evil you could be.”

“I’m not evil.”

“What about that time Wy and I got wasted and you came into her room the next morning and scared the crap out of us by blowing an air horn?”

Waverly grinned at the memory. “You two totally deserved that. You woke everyone up when you tried to sneak in, and you had promised to drive me into the city.”

“You were just mad because we wouldn’t take you to the party.”

“Not true!”

“No?” Nicole grinned. “If I remember right, you wanted us to stay in and have a movie night, which was code for you wanting to snuggle with me under the cover of a blanket. And when we said no ’cause we were going out, you insisted we take you with us.”

“Which Wynonna shot down,” Waverly pouted.

“Yeah.” Nicole leaned on the door frame. “I should have argued for you,” she said softly, lost in hazel eyes once more. “That party was a drag without you.”

Hearing a car approaching, she looked past Nicole and saw it was the taxi. She wasn’t sure whether to be relieved or disappointed. “There’s the taxi.”

“Yeah. So, I guess, goodbye then.”

Smiling softly, Waverly nodded. “Bye.” She watched the redhead walk over to the car and get in, feeling a spark of hope in her heart. Hope that things could be fixed between them. Friendship, she reminded herself. We can only be friends because I’m married and she’s only just separated from her wife. Waving, she watched the taxi leave before stepping back inside and shutting the door behind her. Heading back towards the kitchen, a tiny voice in her told her they could be more than friends if she was just brave enough to be her true self.


	9. Chapter 9

**H** umming happily to the song on the jukebox, Waverly left Shorty’s small kitchen and walked back into the main area, smiling as she spotted Chrissy at the bar. “Hey, stranger. How are you?”

“I’m good thanks, Waves. Yourself?”

“I’m okay. Taking it day by day. Everything seems to be calming down around here now, there hasn’t been a murder in two weeks. Thank God!”

“Dad told me Gus is keeping the bar. That must be a relief.”

“You have no idea.”

“Is that what has you so cheerful?”

“Not particularly. Can’t a gal just hum a happy tune when she has a good day?” She was in a good mood because she had made a plan to go and see Nicole, but she wasn’t about to tell Chrissy that. “Is Gus serving you or can I get you something?”

Chrissy eyed the takeaway carton Waverly had put on the bar. “That isn’t for my dad, is it?”

Hazel eyes dropped to the carton and a blush coloured her cheeks. “Uh, no. I was um… I was going to take Nicole some lunch. You know, make sure she looks after herself and eats right while she deals with everything going on in her life. I can make something for your dad. That’s probably why you came in, right?” She laughed nervously, not sure why she felt so jittery all of a sudden.

“It is. Recent events have made me appreciate time spent with my dad a little more, so I thought I would try and have lunch with him whenever I can.”

“I know what you mean. Recent events have had me thinking about everything.”

She had spent the weekend thinking about how she really felt, who she really wanted, what she wanted out of life, and slowly and surely the picture had become clear. She wasn’t being her true self, she wasn’t being honest about what she wanted, had never been honest about what she wanted. All the tragedy that had happened in Purgatory lately had brought it home to her how precious life was and she didn’t want to waste another minute. Sure, there were a few obstacles to deal with, but she was determined to sort her life out once and for all.

Chrissy smiled, liking this positive Waverly. She suspected Waverly’s new outlook on life in Purgatory had a lot to do with the return of one Nicole Haught and her cheery mood perhaps because of the rumour going around town that Nicole and Shea were separating. “Can I get two chicken salads to go?”

“Salad? Your dad usually has—”

Chrissy rolled her eyes. “Yeah, I know what he usually has. Me having lunch with him is the only time I can guilt-trip him into eating something healthy.”

“Everything all right over here, girls?” Gus asked as she stepped behind the bar with a tray of dirty glasses.

“Everything’s fine, Gus,” Waverly replied as she jotted down Chrissy’s order.

Eyeing the order slip, Gus picked it up. “I’ll make these if you’ll watch the bar a minute, Waverly.”

“Okay, thanks.”

“She seems full of energy today,” Chrissy mentioned once Gus had left them.

“I think she’s happy to have something to focus on.”

Taking a seat, Chrissy tapped the bar top with her fingers. “So, I heard a whisper that Nicole and Shea are separating. Have to admit, it surprised me. They seemed so happy and they’ve just moved here.”

“I think that was part of the problem,” Waverly replied as she leaned on the bar, happy she had someone to talk to about it. “Nicole said Shea realised that small town living isn’t really for her.”

“Ah. I guess it isn’t for everyone.” Chrissy grinned mischievously. “Nicole just happened to mention to you that she’s separating from her wife?”

Waverly rolled her eyes. “Wynonna took her out drinking at Pussy Willow’s and they got totally drunk, then called me at stupid o’clock to go pick them up.”

Chrissy laughed. “That sounds like Wynonna!”

“Mm. Anyway, Wynonna told me, so stop with whatever thoughts you’re having. I am still a married woman.”

Chrissy studied her friend, picking up on something being different. “What’s going on inside that head of yours, Waverly Hardy?”

Looking around to make sure no one was hovering close enough to hear their conversation, Waverly leaned on the bar closer to Chrissy. “I’m thinking about leaving Champ.”

“Really?”

Waverly nodded. Eyes falling to her hands, she stared at her fingers as she confessed, “I’ve realised how unhappy I’ve been and have finally decided to do something about it.”

“Good for you,” Chrissy smiled, genuinely pleased. “Champ Hardy thinks he’s God’s gift to women and for years has got away with whatever you let him. It’s about time you gave him a reality check.”

“This has nothing to do with Nicole,” Waverly insisted.

“Maybe a little bit?” Chrissy smirked. “Be honest.”

Waverly shrugged half-heartedly. “Maybe her coming back got me thinking. But it’s not like I’m going to jump straight into anything with her. We both have stuff to deal with. It’s...” She inhaled deeply. “Complicated,” she exhaled. “I have to concentrate on sorting out my mess first and foremost.” She knew Champ was going to be a headache to deal with.

“Which, kinda brings me to another rumour going around town.”

“Do I want to know?” Waverly groaned, not wanting to think about what nonsense the people of Purgatory might have imagined.

“Rumour has it that you’ve moved back to the homestead with Wynonna.”

“Wow, the gossips have been hard at work, haven’t they?”

“It’s true then?”

Waverly shook her head. “I haven’t moved yet, but I plan to. Aurora and I spent yesterday playing a fun game of let’s-pack-up-all-our-things, which she’s really bad at!” she chuckled. “It makes sense to move back. I can’t stay with Gus forever and paying rent on a crappy apartment with chipped paint and stained walls when I could be living for free at the homestead didn’t add up. With Willa missing in action and Wynonna being back, now felt like the right time.”

Chrissy smiled, pleased her friend was finally dealing with her past in order to move forward. Glancing past Waverly to make sure Gus wasn’t approaching, she asked softly, “How are things between you and Gus?”

“Fine. Okay. They’re okay. I can’t… I can’t forgive her. I want to but I can’t. I’ve been trying not to think too much about how life could be if she hadn’t interfered, trying not to think about the possibility that Nicole would have come back like Richard Gere on the balcony at the end of Pretty Woman to win me back.”

“Oh, my God, I loved that scene! Wait, you don’t have a balcony.”

“But it’s hard not to play the what if game, you know? Especially now that I know Gus interfered. All these years I blamed myself, but she played a part.”

Chrissy nodded. “Maybe some space will help you deal with it.”

“Maybe.”

Their conversation ended as Gus appeared with a flourish. “Here we go, Chrissy. Two chicken salads with added pickles. For some reason we’re pits deep in them. Say hello to Randy for me.”

“Will do, Gus.”

Picking up the carton intended for Nicole, Waverly smiled at her aunt. “I’ll only be about half an hour.”

“Oh, don’t worry,” Gus waved her off. “I know how to run this place in my sleep. And Aurora’s perfectly happy sitting in the corner colouring.”

Takeaway cartons in hand, Waverly and Chrissy made their way out of Shorty’s. The sky was overcast, but the morning rain had ceased and moved on.

“Being back at the Earp homestead, I don’t suppose you would volunteer to throw Stephanie’s engagement party?”

Waverly groaned. “Buzz kill, Chrissy.”

“I know! I know, and I’m sorry, but I think it’ll be good for all of us, like therapy. You remember people used to call it murder house, right?”

“It’s not a murder house, it’s my home. Wait, are people still calling it that?”

Chrissy winced. “It had stopped, but with Curtis being murdered out there...” She trailed off and shrugged apologetically.

Setting her shoulders, a plan started forming in Waverly’s mind. She liked nothing more than a good plan. “I’ll throw Stephanie Jones the best damn engagement party yet. See if she still wants to call the homestead murder house then!”

*** * * * ***

“Nedley,” Wynonna greeted as she walked into his office and plonked herself down in the chair opposite him.

“Sheriff,” he corrected in his usual laid back manner. “Sheriff Nedley. Are you keeping your fluffy hindquarters clean or should I frisk you for old times’ sake?”

“Wouldn’t risk it. We both know you’re one grope away from a heart attack. What do you want from me?”

“Our funds have been slashed in half, I’ve got one rookie officer on the roster, I even buy the damn coffee myself.”

“What is this, a pity party for one?”

“I need someone who knows the area, its people. I want you to join my squad, Wynonna. Work for the right side of the law for once.”

Wynonna snorted in disbelief. “You must be desperate.”

“The situation’s desperate.”

“Well, I don’t do authority, Nedley. These days, I barely do sober. Besides I saw what being the law did to my father.”

“Don’t do this for me then. Do it for Nicole. You two were always as thick as thieves as kids. She could use some help around town, an extra pair of boots on the ground. Lonnie is… well, Lonnie and my other deputies get through their shifts half asleep. I’m not deputising you, it’ll be a… consultant role.”

“I’ll give it some thought.”

“You do that. I think you and Nicole will be a good team, you worked that armed robbery well together. I also think Waverly would love it if you stuck around.” He watched the brunette stand and make her way out of his office and over to Nicole’s desk, the pair exchanging words before surprised brown eyes flicked in his direction. He bit back his smile as Wynonna daintily wiggled her fingers in his direction.

He had tried his best to look out for the Earp girls after their father was murdered, but Wynonna was like a wild mustang, always determined to go her own way. He felt that if he could find something for her to focus her attention on her, she would settle and calm down a little, become the good citizen he had always hoped she would be.

Walking into the station with Chrissy, Waverly frowned as she spotted Wynonna seated on Nicole’s desk. She ignored Chrissy elbowing her in the ribs when Nicole noticed them and smiled brightly as they walked towards the deputy’s desk. She had to admit, she really liked the way Nicole sat back and watched her approach, so put a little extra sway into her hips.

“What are you doing here?” she directed at her sister. “Oh, my God, don’t tell me you got yourself arrested!”

Wynonna rolled her eyes. “No. But thanks for the vote of confidence, baby girl.”

Waverly shrugged. “You have previous, Nonna.”

“Hey, Chrissy,” Nicole greeted. “How are you?”

“Hi, Nicole. I’m good, thanks. Disastrous date with Kyle York aside.” She rolled her eyes. Being taken to Shorty’s where everyone they knew hung out wasn’t her idea of fun. She wiggled the cartons she held. “I better get this to dad. Say hi to Shea for me.”

“So, why are you really here?” Waverly asked her sister.

“Nedley offered me a job. I’m gonna be a detective.”

“A consultant,” Nicole corrected.

Waverly laughed out loud, thoroughly amused until she realised Wynonna wasn’t joking. “You’re serious?” She looked at Nicole. “Is she serious?”

“He thinks it’ll keep her out of trouble.”

“Uh, no. He told me you need all the help you can get.”

“So, you’re taking the job?” Waverly asked. Her face brightened. “You’re really going to stay in Purgatory?”

“With you and Aurora moving back to the homestead I’ve got a reason to stick around awhile.” She looked at Nicole. “Talking of, don’t suppose you want to help us carry boxes tonight? Waverly will cook dinner.”

“Hey!” Waverly protested. “I’m working all day. Why don’t you cook dinner?”

“Do you really want me cooking?”

“You can order in.”

“You do it better.”

“Nedley has me working,” Nicole interrupted the squabble.

Wynonna scowled. “Tell him a family emergency came up.”

“You want me to lie to my boss so I can come and do all the heavy lifting?” Nicole asked, a russet eyebrow lifted in question. “Because we both know you’re gonna be doing very little.”

“I resent that. How could you think so little of me?”

“Because I know you?”

“Hey, Nedley,” Wynonna shouted out, glancing in the direction of the sheriff’s office. “Can Nicole have the night off for a family emergency?”

“Does the family emergency involve your family?” Nedley called back.

“No.” It didn’t sound convincing to anyone present. “Okay, fine, yeah, it’s to do with my family. We’re moving Waverly back to the homestead.”

“Take the night off, Deputy. I’ll get Dave to cover for you.”

Wynonna grinned triumphantly. “Score!”

“You don’t have to come and help,” Waverly jumped in, feeling bad about Wynonna’s behaviour.

Nicole waved her off. “It’s fine. If we leave it to Wynonna, you’ll still be moving in next week. Besides, I’m tired with filling out forms on missing pets.”

Ignoring them, Wynonna got to her feet. “I’m going to leave you two love birds to it. Places to go, drinks to drink.”

“Stay out of trouble,” Waverly pleaded.

“No promises.”

Waverly put down the carton she held. “I brought you a chicken salad,” she announced with a smile. “With pickles. Do you like pickles?”

“Love ‘em.” She hated them with a vengeance but for Waverly she would lie.

“Great. You can at least say you’re being a little bit healthy then.”

“I’m healthy. I exercise.”

“Uh-huh. How often?”

“I chased a suspect the other night for a good five minutes.”

“In your car?” Waverly teased.

“Ha ha.” Smiling, Nicole reached for the carton and opened it. “This looks great, Waves. But you didn’t have to come all the way over here.”

Waverly’s smile dropped, unsure of herself all of a sudden. “Right. Shea probably made you lunch. You’re still living together, right?”

“No,” Nicole shook her head. “I mean yes, we’re still living together, but no she didn’t make me lunch. Shea’s not really the type to send the little wife off to work with a hearty lunch bag. I just meant I could have come to you. To Shorty’s.”

“Oh.” The smile returned full force. “I don’t mind.” Taking a seat on the corner of Nicole’s desk, Waverly glanced around the station, noting that with the Sheriff and Chrissy in his office and Lonnie at the front desk in a flap over missing forms, they didn’t really have much privacy. For the conversation they probably had to have they needed no interruptions. It can wait until tonight, she thought as her gaze settled back on Nicole.

“How’s Aurora?”

Waverly smiled brightly. “She’s great. Won’t stop talking about you actually.”

“She’s amazing, Waves. So much like you.”

“Thank you.” Waverly felt her cheeks begin to warm from the compliment and intense stare of the redhead.

“So, you’re moving back to the homestead?” Nicole asked casually as she poked at her food.

“Yeah. It kinda made sense.”

“What about Willa? You two never really got along.”

“She’s away at the moment and none of us know when or if she’s coming back.”

Nicole frowned. “Are you worried?”

“No. Bobo told me she’s fine.” Waverly smiled. “He’s not one to sit around and wait it out, he went looking for her. I think she told him to get lost.”

“In a rude Willa way, I bet.”

“With Wynonna back and living at the homestead, I want to keep her company, surround her with family to remind her of what she has here. Saying that, I’m not sure how she’s going to handle Champ being around. They almost got into a fight at Shorty’s before he left for Texas.”

“What did he do?”

“For once nothing, it was Wynonna. She thinks that because he found Curtis he must know something, something more than what he told you. I had to get the York brothers to help drag them apart.” Then she had spent the rest of the evening listening to him whining about the incident.

As Nicole returned to poking at her lunch, Waverly got lost in her own thoughts. The silence between them was filled with noises of an active police station, a telephone ringing endlessly as it was ignored, laughter drifted out from Nedley’s office, and Lonnie muttered unhappily as he bent over a desk filling out paperwork.

Blinking away her thoughts, Waverly blushed as she found Nicole staring intently at her again. “I… I should...” she cleared her throat, “...go. Let you get back to work.”

“Okay. Thanks for lunch.”

“You’re welcome.” Standing up, Waverly hesitated, reluctant to leave Nicole’s company. “So, I’ll see you tonight?”

“For sure.”

Smiling, Waverly wiggled her fingers. “Okay. Bye then.”

Nicole watched Waverly leave, wondering if she could handle being just friends. It’s friendship or nothing, she told herself.

“You gonna eat those pickles?” Lonnie enquired, appearing next to her desk and pointing at her carton. “You don’t like ‘em.”

Scowling, she jabbed at the offensive veg. “I do now.”

*** * * * ***

Wynonna dropped the box she was carrying and winced as it thudded loudly on the wooden floor. “What the hell is in there?”

Glancing over at her sister, Waverly read the felt tip writing on the side of the box. “Books.”

“And why am I carrying it in?”

“You offered.”

“Some exercise is good for you, Wynonna,” Gus spoke up.

“Yeah, how long has it been since you lifted something other than a bottle to your lips?”

Scowling, Wynonna gave her sister the one finger salute.

“Nice to see you girls moving in together,” Gus commented, smiling as she watched the interaction between them. “It’ll be good for you both you, I think. As long as you don’t kill each other.”

Nicole cautiously walked in with two boxes stacked on top of each other, her view limited and the awareness that Aurora was around her legs somewhere. “I’m not going to walk into anything, am I?”

“Wynonna!” Waverly scolded, instantly knowing her sister had something to do with the load Nicole was carrying.

“Why do you assume—” Noticing all three women looking at her with raised eyebrows, she didn’t bother finishing her protest. There were arguments she could win, this wasn’t one of them.

“Aurora, don’t you get under Nicole’s feet,” Waverly warned as she moved to take the top box.

“Okay, Mama.”

Waverly watched her daughter follow the redhead back outside, a little shadow who had been trying to match Nicole’s footsteps all evening. Nicole was ever patient and Waverly couldn’t help but adore her for it.

“Here.” Wynonna handed over some aged paper she had found while half-heartedly cleaning up.

“Oh, my God, where did you find these?” Waverly gushed, taking the old pages with her drawings on them. “I loved colouring.” She flicked through the pages oohing and ahhing over her colourful etchings while Wynonna peered over her shoulder.

“Have you seen this?” Gus asked, tracing her fingers lightly over markings on the door frame. “I forgot all about this. Willa, age ten. Wynonna age seven,” she read. Each mark showing how tall the girls were.

Waverly’s happiness faded as she looked. “I’m not on there, am I?”

“Probably rubbed off,” Gus told her. “You know these old houses, draughty and damp.”

“Yeah. That’s what I used to tell myself.”

Wynonna wrapped an arm around Waverly’s shoulders. “It wasn’t all bad, Waves. You had that furry little rat as a pet.”

“Picachu wasn’t a rat,” Nicole said as she dropped another box at the bottom of the staircase.

“Furry and little with scurrying feet,” Wynonna shrugged. “Rat.”

“Picachu was a hamster. A much loved pet who forever rests peacefully out back in a specially dug grave.”

“I’d forgotten that,” Wynonna nodded. “You made us have an actual funeral for it.”

“It was a lovely service, Waves,” Nicole said sincerely.

Happiness and excitement about moving back home gone, Waverly picked up Aurora. “Come on, baby girl, let’s go make some of my amazing banana muffins.”

“I help Nico,” the little girl pouted.

“We’re just about done, pumpkin,” Nicole smiled. “I would love to try an amazing banana muffin though, especially if you’re helping to make them.”

Aurora looked at her mother in hopeful expectation. “I help, Mama?”

Waverly smiled adoringly. “Of course you can.”

Once Waverly was out of sight, Gus turned steely eyes on Wynonna. “You’re going to stick around, aren’t you, Wynonna? You won’t up and leave her to deal with Willa on her own.”

“In case you haven’t noticed, Gus, Willa isn’t here.”

Gus waved off the observation as Nicole silently walked back outside, recognising a family moment when she saw one. “She’ll return once she gets bored with finding herself and you and I both know she’ll go out of her way to make Waverly miserable.”

“I’m not going anywhere.” Blue eyes landed on her aunt. “Nedley offered me a job today.”

Gus laughed in disbelief. “A job? Doing what?”

“Helping Nicole out.”

“Hindering her more like!”

Wynonna scowled. “Yeah, whatever. Point is I’m sticking around for Waverly, for Aurora, for Nicole. I’m… going to try and be a better person, Gus. I know I caused you and Curtis a lot of grief in my teenage years—”

“Two stints in juvie, in and out of foster homes, a summer riding with the Banditos, Purgatory police knocking on the door looking for you,” Gus scoffed. “Grief, she says!”

“I’m older now, more mature. Ish. Look, I’m trying here.”

Gus moved closer, invading Wynonna’s personal space. “You do anything to hurt that girl and you’ll have me to deal with, Wynonna. There will be nowhere that you can hide, understand?”

“Understood.” She watched Gus turn and head for the kitchen where Aurora’s excited squeals could be heard and genuine laughter from Waverly rang out. “I won’t mess up this time,” she murmured to herself.

*** * * * ***

Standing under the shelter of the porch, Nicole watched the spring shower hammering down, the smell of wet grass greeting her nose as she inhaled. It would pass soon enough and everything would be fresh once again. She loved the symbolism of it.

Waverly stepped out onto the porch with a blanket wrapped around her shoulders and smiled as Nicole glanced her way. “Thanks for helping tonight.”

“You’re welcome.”

Leaning on the support post opposite Nicole, Waverly stared out across the wet land. “And for being so patient with Aurora. She wore herself out following you back and forth.”

Nicole smiled. “She’s a great kid, Waverly. You’re doing an amazing job raising her.”

Tears swelled in hazel eyes. “Do you really think so?”

“I do. She’s a lot like you. Smart, funny, curious. And she has an Earp temper. She sternly told me off for sitting on Lyla.”

Waverly looked horrified. “You sat on Miss Lyla?”

Nicole put her hands up. “In my defence, no one told me about Miss Lyla so I didn’t know she had to be avoided. Aurora forgave me once I read her a bedtime story and promised to come back and read her another some time.”

Waverly laughed lightly. “Ah, my little negotiator!” A hand went to her heart, proud mother coming out. “Miss Lyla the lionheart is a pretty cowgirl princess who likes to get up to all sorts of mischief, like telling Aurora they should draw on the walls.”

“Ah, I see.” Nicole grinned. “Cowgirl princess?”

“Uh-huh.”

“And the name? Why Lyla the lionheart?”

“I have no idea,” Waverly chuckled.

“You had an imaginary friend, didn’t you? I’m sure Wynonna told me about it once.”

“Wynonna didn’t tell you, she yelled it out for all to hear one afternoon she got pissed off with me following you two around.”

“Oh, yeah,” Nicole nodded, recalling the incident. She looked at the smaller woman and smiled kindly. “For the record, I never minded you following us around.”

“That’s because you fancied me!” Waverly grinned.

“Not when you were six!”

“Liar.”

Probably. Lost in each other’s eyes as memories of their past came back to them, Waverly was the first to look away. Their attention returned to watching the rain, content to listen to the pitter-patter as it drummed down and simply be in each other’s company.

“I can’t remember how many times we sat out on Gus’s porch watching the rain,” Waverly said softly, pulling her blanket a little tighter.

“Holding hands under a blanket,” Nicole replied just as softly.

“Our little secret.”

The moment felt too intense, the crackle of energy between them bubbling, threatening to make something happen, something they would both regret. Maybe not regret, but it would definitely create a bigger mess than they already had to contend with.

Nicole cleared her throat. “You gonna be okay out here, far from town? I know Wy’s here now, but she’s not always around.”

Swallowing down her desires, Waverly smiled weakly. “Champ gets back soon and I have Aurora to keep me busy.” She saw concern on Nicole’s face. “Plus I have your phone number and a shotgun I’m rather fond of.”

That brought a smile to Nicole’s face. “If you see anyone out here or hear anything odd, you don’t hesitate to call me, okay?”

“Promise.”

With a nod, Nicole stood up straight, knowing she should probably get going. “Thanks for dinner and the muffins, they really are amazing.”

“Stop, they’re nothing special.”

“They’re special because you made them.” Realising that could be mistaken for flirting, Nicole quickly added, “And Aurora, of course.”

“Right.” A loud rumbled of thunder startled her and drew her attention to the dark sky.

“Hey,” Nicole smiled and opened her arms. “Come here.”

Closing the small gap between them, Waverly turned and leaned back into Nicole’s embrace, strong arms wrapping around her. There was something so comforting about the position, familiar, like coming home.

“You never did like storms,” Nicole murmured.

“I don’t mind storms, it was the fact that we were always in the barn when one hit that bothered me. Lightening could have started a fire and that’s no laughing matter.”

“You don’t think we would have got out?”

“Nine times out of ten we were butt naked. I never fancied my aunt and uncle finding out about us like that!” They laughed together and as it faded a comfortable silence fell once again.

Waverly had thought of a million and one things she wanted to say if she had the chance, but now that she was in close proximity of her first love, she felt conflicted emotions bubbling inside her. This moment was perfect, did she really want to ruin it by dragging up old hurts? She didn’t want to, but maybe she needed to, needed to clear the air so they could move forward.

Ever since finding out what Gus had done she had been furious. To have her aunt make such a huge decision regarding her life broke her heart. She thought she knew Gus and clearly she didn’t. Her anger was also directed at Nicole. Angry because Nicole had listened to Gus and backed off without a fight, had left town without a goodbye. But then that was Nicole all over, good and noble. Then there were her own actions to take into consideration. She was the one who had been too afraid to be different, she was the one who told Nicole their relationship meant nothing and began seeing Champ.

“You know, we never did finish our conversation,” she said finally, deciding that carrying around so much anger wasn’t healthy.

“Remind me which conversation you’re referring to?”

“The one where Gus told you to stay away and you did.”

Nicole frowned. “I thought we were done with that conversation?”

“No, that conversation was interrupted.”

Attention drifting back to the rain, Nicole sighed heavily, heart sick. “What more is there to say, Waverly?”

What more was there to say? It was all in the past, what was done was done, and nothing they said now could change anything. But still, Waverly wanted answers, at the very least she wanted closure. “Would you have come back?” she asked softly.

Yes was on the tip of her tongue, but that wouldn’t do either of them any good. Nicole didn’t want to drag up the past and it had hurt the first time round, she wasn’t keen to relive it. She shifted her weight. “It doesn’t matter. What’s done is done.”

Turning in Nicole’s arms, hazel eyes burned into brown. “Do you never wonder what if?” she pressed. “What if we would have worked things out and—” She stopped herself from going any further, not wanting Nicole to know she often tormented herself with the what ifs.

“Do you?” Nicole knew the answer before Waverly’s lips parted. She could see the sadness on the younger woman’s face. “You spent the last week I was in town avoiding me.”

_End of summer_ :

Sitting with Wynonna and Mercedes on the bonnet of Mercedes’s silver BMW, Nicole couldn’t help but stare across the trailer park to where Waverly was hanging with the cheerleaders and jocks. She was wearing jeans shorts and half a T-shirt, the shorts ridiculously short and the shirt showing off her impressive abs. Her friends all wanted Waverly’s attention, especially Champ who was acting like a dickhead as he tried everything he could to impress her.

Nicole imagined boldly striding over and taking Waverly’s hand to ask if she wanted to dance, or go for a drive, or just talk. Something they hadn’t done all week.

Friday night and the place to be was Bobo’s trailer park. Fires had been lit, music was thumping and the booze flowing. Sure, there was a joint or two going around, weed being sold on the sly by the bikers, but it was all pretty harmless.

Nicole had noticed that Waverly hadn’t glanced her way since observing Mercedes pulling in and parking up, noticed that the youngest Earp hadn’t waved or smiled or acknowledged her presence. Usually, Waverly would bound over and hug them all, adding a little squeeze to Nicole’s hug to let her know she cared. Sometimes, if it was cold enough, she would nestle against Nicole’s side claiming she needed the extra warmth.

The pain Nicole felt at the distance between them had her drinking from her beer bottle.

“So, you and Pete York are over?” Mercedes asked Wynonna.

“Way, way over, before I got sent to juvie over.”

“Did he get that message? ’Cause he keeps looking over here with sad eyes.”

Glancing over to where the York brothers were sitting with other drinking friends, Wynonna groaned as she found him staring back. Ignoring his shy smile and little wave, blue eyes turned to the redhead next to her. “Remember his birthday party when I left early?”

“Yeah, you told everyone in your loudest voice that you had cramps.”

“Mega cramps,” Nicole added.

“Yeah, I mega lied. I went home with another guy.”

Outraged that this was the first she was hearing of it, Mercedes gaped at the brunette. “Who? Perry Croft?”

“No, I’m a bigger bitch than that,” Wynonna winced. “Kyle.”

“Kyle? Kyle who?” Mercedes ran through everyone in town and the only Kyle she could come up with was— “Oh, my God!” Her loud exclamation drew attention to them, everyone but Waverly looking over to see what was going on.

Nicole unhappily noted Waverly was now tucked under one of Champ’s beefy arms, nestled against his side.

Horrified, Wynonna elbowed her friend in the ribs. “Keep your voice down! He doesn’t know. He can never know.”

“Oh, Wynonna, that’s bad.”

“So bad,” Wynonna nodded in agreement. “Which is why I broke up with him, which is why I’ll never tell him, which is why you won’t breathe a word. I’m bad, my heart is black, and usually I don’t care if I hurt people’s feelings, but I don’t want to cause the brothers to fall out.”

Mercedes acted out sealing her lips and throwing away the key. “My lips are sealed.”

“Unlike your legs,” Wynonna retorted.

“Everyone’s right about you, you are a bitch!”

“Yeah, a bitch with some hella sexy moves.” Wynonna slid off the bonnet. “Come on, let’s dance.”

Mercedes stood while Nicole remained seated, in no mood to dance. “You two go, I’m just gonna stay here.”

“What’s with you?” Mercedes questioned. “You’ve been miserable all week and God knows why! We’re getting out, Nicole. Leaving Purgatory behind. That is reason enough to celebrate like it’s 1999.”

Wynonna glanced over to where her baby sister was standing with the man-child known as Champ, then back to Nicole. “You two fallen out?”

Nicole didn’t want to get into it. “No. She’s with her friends, I’m with mine.”

“Yeah, well, she’s been with her friends nearly all week. She should be over here spending this last weekend with you.”

“Is she upset that you’re leaving or something?” Mercedes asked.

“Or something.”

“Forget her then,” Wynonna insisted. “If Waverly wants to act like a child and be all petty, fine. You, meanwhile, should get off your butt and come dance with the two hottest women in Purgatory while you still can.”

Smiling seductively, Mercedes sidled closer, stepping between Nicole’s legs and wrapped an arm around the redhead’s neck, their bodies close together. “Let us rock your world,” she murmured.

Genuinely laughing for the first time that week, Nicole lightly pushed Mercedes away. “All right, fine. If you think you can handle me.” Standing, she pointedly ignored the fact Waverly was now staring in her direction and looking less than happy.

“I loved you so much, it terrified me,” Waverly admitted. “Knowing I had met the love of my life when we were so young, it was a lot to deal with. And I wasn’t ready. I wasn’t ready to be different, to be out. You were leaving and who knew if you were ever coming back.”

“Oh, I was coming back,” Nicole insisted. “Do you not remember my plan for the future? We were going to travel the world together then settle down and live happily ever after.”

“Would it have worked out, though? How many long distance relationships work out in the end? And throw in the hot college girls you probably met.”

“Waverly, my heart belonged to you. There was no one else on Earth as far as I was concerned.”

“But you let Gus scare you off!” Waverly yelled in frustration, pulling out of Nicole’s arms and walking away. “One word from her and you were gone!”

“It wasn’t just Gus. It was us. We played a part too, Waverly. The last conversation we’d had, the uncertainty you felt, you spending the whole week with your friends and ignoring me.” Nicole smiled sadly. “I remember seeing you with Champ in town, him with his arm around you in a way I could never do. Him slobbering all over you. Nothing had ever hurt so bad.”

Waverly shook her head, tears swelling in her eyes at the hurt they had caused each other. “I lied,” she confessed softly. She looked up from her shoes to meet curious brown eyes. “When I told you I wasn’t sure what I wanted. I lied. I wanted you. I always wanted you, Nicole Haught. But, it scared me, how perfect we had it. You know how difficult my home life was, my parents weren’t exactly a couple to look up to, then Mama abandoned us and Daddy sank deeper into the bottle and that didn’t help me any, not when I had the feeling that at any moment the rug was going to be pulled out from under me.”

“It doesn’t matter now.”

“We had something good, something so right, and you were offering me everything I had ever wanted, but I kept waiting for you to suddenly realise I was too young, or that I wasn’t good enough, or for you to meet someone new and exciting.”

“Waverly.” Nicole reached out to lightly touch the younger woman’s arm. “I never lied to you. I loved you. All I wanted was to be in your company, to listen to you talk about whatever had captured your attention, to see your smile, hear your laugh. I had loved you my whole life.” Her hand dropped to her side. “But Gus was right, I had to back off for you to able to spread your wings and figure out what it was you really wanted.”

Waverly’s breath caught in her chest as she lost herself in compassionate brown eyes. It was a magical moment and tragic at the same time. Two souls who knew they belonged together but couldn’t be together because the timing was all wrong. It had been wrong when they were kids and it was wrong now. She looked away first as she realised the truth, it wasn’t their time. The thought made her want to curl into a ball and weep.

Watching the range of emotions sweep across Waverly’s face, Nicole got the sinking feeling this was goodbye, the book closing on their story. Her eyes stung as tears gathered in her eyes. Probably for the best, she decided. “I uh… I should get going. Tell everyone bye from me.” With a quick wave, she walked off the porch and headed for her car, telling herself she wasn’t going to cry, not over someone who belonged to another, not over a relationship that ended years before.


	10. Chapter 10

**L** ater that night, after Gus had bid the sisters goodnight and headed home and Aurora was tucked up in her new bed, worn out from “helping” Nicole, Wynonna and Waverly sat on the living room floor reminiscing about their childhood antics. In front of the fireplace, a fire burning nicely to keep the evening chill at bay, they enjoyed a drink or three, Waverly savouring the pinot Nicole had brought over and Wynonna switching from beer to whiskey.

For some stupid reason they started playing a game they had found stashed in a cupboard, because they weren’t tired, because they were enjoying each other’s company, mostly because they were on their way to being drunk.

“Your turn,” Waverly grinned, loving every minute of this sister bonding time she had missed out on over the last few years.

Wynonna picked up a card and read the question aloud. “Who have you hurt the most? Ugh, Waves, this game sucks balls!”

“It doesn’t. It’s like truth or dare only without the dare.”

“Dare. I take dare!”

“Wynonna,” Waverly sighed, ever patient with her favourite sister.

“You,” Wynonna confessed quietly, looking anywhere but at her sister. “It’s you, baby girl.”

“Sure, you’ve done dumb stuff. A lot of dumb stuff. But you’re my sister.” Waverly reached out and took Wynonna’s hand. “I’ll always forgive you.”

“So, you are hurt? Is it ’cause I left? More than once. Right? I kept leaving town and not once did I take you with me, little miss I-want-to-see-the-world.”

“I’m over it,” Waverly insisted. “God, I am so over it. You came back. You always come back and you’re here now and you’ve got a new job to look forward to—”

“Nobody enjoys a new job that much.” Not completely oblivious, Wynonna picked up the undertone of anguish and knew Waverly wasn’t completely over it, no matter what she was saying, or how brightly she was smiling. “Waverly, just say it. Whatever you’re really feeling, just let it out.”

Waverly hesitated, stubbornly holding out because she feared once she opened the floodgates everything she was feeling would pour out.

“Okay. We’re gonna do this the hard way,” Wynonna muttered.

Confused, Waverly watched her sister stand and leave the room, listened as Wynonna moved around in the kitchen, the sound of cupboard doors opening and slamming reaching her. She frowned as Wynonna triumphantly returned clutching a bottle and half a muffin, the missing half stuffed in her mouth.

“You didn’t bring me a muffin,” Waverly pouted.

“You didn’t ask.”

“I didn’t know what you were doing. Hey! That’s the bubblegum sake I imported from Japan.”

Cracking open the bottle, Wynonna drank deeply and instantly wished she hadn’t. Her face scrunched up in distaste. “Oh, dude, that’s gross!”

“It’s unique!”

The brunette held out the bottle. “Try it.”

Taking the bottle, Waverly swigged heartily, determined to like it, and scrunched her eyes shut as she got her first taste of the alcohol. “See? Not so… not so bad.” She coughed as it burned its way down.

“It’s okay to be honest, Waves. For once. You’ll get no judgement from me.”

“I… I was mad with you for the longest time,” she admitted. “The first time you left, I was so scared I’d never see you again. Like Mama. But then you came back and everyone forgave you for leaving and scaring us and life carried on like nothing had happened. Then you left again and again and each time I wasn’t sure if that would be the time you decided never to return. I know you hate Purgatory, the people are—”

“Dickheads,” Wynonna filled in. “Most of them are dickheads.”

Waverly nodded. “And I was just your bratty little sister. But I kept hoping you would take me with you. And you never did, Wynonna. I would dream of the places we would go, the things we would see, but then I would think about Uncle Curtis and Aunt Gus and how disappointed they would be in me for running away, and Nicole being left behind with no one but Mercedes for company, and I thought about the gossips in town judging me for being like you and—”

“Everybody loves you because you’re awesome,” Wynonna interrupted, not wanting Waverly to belittle herself. “If I had ever thought to ask you along, everyone would have forgiven you the second we got back. Because you’re Waverly. Nice and friendly, and awesome.”

“You already said awesome.”

Wynonna reached out and put a hand on her sister’s thigh. “You have a million and one reasons to hate me, Waverly, but you still love me. It’s what I love about you, your beautiful heart.”

Touched by her sister’s heartfelt words, Waverly awkwardly one-arm hugged her. “Oh, Wynonna! Sometimes you just know the right words.”

“Yeah, yeah, pass me the booze.” Taking the bottle of sake back, she swigged again, hoping for a better outcome. “Nope, still no better.” Avoiding looking at Waverly, she started picking at the label with her thumbnail. “Isn’t this the part where you say you love me, too?”

“I thought you were a lone wolf who needed no one?” Waverly teased, taking back the bottle.

“No one but you, baby girl. And Nicole. Though she needs me more than I need her because without me she’s really boring.”

“She got a lap dance, rode a mechanical bull and danced around a stripper pole. I wouldn’t call that boring.”

“She only did all that because I made her drink.” Blue eyes settled on Waverly. “Am I a bad friend?”

Waverly smiled. “No.” She felt warm, the alcohol she had already consumed and now the sake working through her system to give her a happy buzz. “She went to Vegas and got married.”

Wynonna snorted. “Yeah, go figure.”

“Are you going to take the job?”

“What job?”

“The consultant job Nedley offered you.”

“I’m thinking about it.”

“You’d be working with Nicole. You could… watch her back. Keep her safe.”

Wynonna grinned at her sister. “Still care, huh?”

“I’d die if anything happened to her, Nonna. I know I probably shouldn’t say that, being married and all, but—”

“She was your first love and still the keeper of your heart.” She saw Waverly cringe at the comment. “What’s with unhappy face?”

“It’s just… Champ likes to tell me I’m the keeper of his boner and it always make me cringe.”

“Gah, he’s such a dick.” She picked at the label on the bottle some more. “I haven’t got the greatest relationship with the police,” she admitted softly.

“But this is different,” Waverly assured her, a hand coming to rest lightly on Wynonna’s thigh. “You’ll be working with your one-time best friend.”

“She’s still my best friend. A bad best friend, but still mine.” Wynonna pouted. “She didn’t take me to Vegas.”

“To be fair, you were out of the country.”

“Not the point.” She looked at her sister. “You gonna be okay with it? Me working with her?”

“Why does that matter? As long as you’re happy.”

“Happiness is a myth.”

“No,” Waverly shook her head. “No, I had it before. It’s real.” She looked into blue eyes, sadness and regret swimming in her own. “And it’s worth fighting for.”

“Are you talking to me or yourself?”

Deciding this conversation was going in a direction she didn’t like, Waverly handed the bottle of sake to her sister and unsteadily got to her feet. “Woah, head rush.”

“You okay?”

“Yeah. Haven’t got drunk like this in a while.” Her eyes filled with tears all of a sudden. “I think… I think we officially said goodbye.”

“What? Who?”

“Me and Nicole.”

“No way,” Wynonna dismissed. “I’ve seen the way she looks at you, Waves. She loves you.”

“When we were on the porch tonight, we had this whole conversation about—” She waved a hand dismissively, not really wanting to get into it. “And by the end it felt like we were saying goodbye.”

“Waverly, you have got to figure out what you want and you’ve got to stop trying to make everyone happy.”

“What if I have?” Waverly asked softly, eyes nervously flicking to her sister’s face. “What if I figured it all out and have a plan, but it doesn’t matter because we’re both still too hurt over events from the past?”

Wynonna frowned, trying to get her alcohol soaked brain to work properly for this conversation. Now was the time to be the big sister Waverly deserved. “Gus did all this damage?”

“No! That’s the worse thing. It was me! I told Nicole she wasn’t what I wanted, that what we had was a fling, so when Gus told her to back off she had no reason to fight it.”

Wynonna’s heart broke for her sister, it broke for Nicole. Such a mess created out of fear and uncertainty. Hearing the sound of a truck turning and heading towards the homestead, Wynonna groaned. “At this hour, that can only be Chump.”

“Can you please try to get along with him,” Waverly begged. “I don’t need the added stress of you two bickering.”

“I’ll do my best. Sort your head out fast, Waverly. I want you happy. I want my best friend happy.”

The truck outside came to a stop and the sound of a door slamming shut reached them. “I’m going to head up to bed so you don’t have to deal with him tonight. Night, Wynonna.” She bent to kiss the top of her sister’s head.

“Night, baby girl.” Watching Waverly until she was out of sight, Wynonna turned her gaze to the burning fire, thoughts and plans invading her sleepy mind. She wanted Purgatorians not to hate her family, she wanted Waverly truly happy again, she wanted her best friend and her sister to live happily ever after, but most of all, she wanted better quality alcohol to help get the image of Shorty lying dead in her lap out of her head.

She looked over at the front door as it opened, watching Champ step in. “Hands off my sister, nine seconds,” she called out to him. “I don’t wanna be hearing any funny business.”

“It was eight seconds, loser. And she’s my wife.”

“Yeah, well, I have friends who will happily help me make your body disappear, so keep little chump to yourself.” She smiled as he scowled and stomped upstairs. Tomorrow would be the start of getting everything sorted. She was going to accept Nedley’s job, she was going to enlist the help of Mercedes in getting Waverly and Nicole back together, and she was going to show everyone in her backwards little town that the Earps weren’t cursed.

Her eyes drooped. The sake sloshed as the bottle tilted in her grasp. Tomorrow she would show them all.

*** * * * ***

Feeling like a new woman, a new woman with a hangover, Wynonna strutted into Purgatory police station not at all dressed in the professional manner her new job called for, but in tight jeans, a sweater with the message ‘Drinks well with others’, and a pair of dark shades hiding her bloodshot eyes. With no awareness of those stopping to stare at her, she walked straight up to Nicole’s desk and plonked herself down on the corner. “All right, I’m here, you lucky bastard. What do you want me to consult on?”

Looking up from her paperwork, Nicole blinked at her friend. “Wynonna.” She glanced at the clock on her desk. “It’s after noon.”

“And?”

Dropping her pen, the redhead sat back in her seat. “I started work at nine.”

“Well, we can’t all be girl scouts.”

“So, you’re taking the job?” Nicole asked with a smile, the familiar banter with her childhood friend warming her heart.

“Suppose so.”

“You don’t have to, no one’s forcing you into the role.”

“Waverly told me she’d just die if anything happened to you, so I have to watch your back.”

Brown eyes rolled. “I’m more than capable of doing my job.”

Wynonna didn’t grace her with a response, her attention drifting around the near empty bullpen. “So, what are we doing? Busting heads and kicking in doors?”

“You’re a consultant, Wynonna. That means you advise when asked for help and right now I don’t need your help. I’m finishing up paperwork on Bill Lippencott.”

“Driving without a license?” Wynonna guessed.

Nicole nodded. “Again.”

Puffing out her cheeks, Wynonna was already losing interest in this new role of hers. “What should I do?”

“Wynonna,” Nedley called out from his office doorway.

Blue eyes went to Nicole. “Should I?” She hooked a thumb in Nedley’s direction.

“Uh-huh. And remember he’s your boss now,” she called out as the brunette made her way over to the open doorway of the sheriff’s office.

“Come in and take a seat, Wynonna.” He watched her step in and reluctantly sit down opposite him. “You’re here, so can I take that to mean you’re accepting my job offer?”

“Someone has to make you flat-foots look good,” she joked. Her smile slipped as Nedley failed to smile back. “Yeah, I’m taking the job. I want to stick around for Waverly. I want to get to know my niece, I want… I want to be a better person.”

“I want that too, Wynonna. I think you have it in you.”

“Great. So, now I’m on the payroll, when do I get paid?”

Opening a drawer, Nedley took out a form and slid it across to her. “You’re not officially on the payroll until you fill that out. Payday is at the end of the month. You are not a deputy, you are a consultant.”

“So everyone keeps saying.”

“You know the shadier people in Purgatory, the shadier places. Help Nicole when required. When you’re not consulting, you can help out around the station. There’s always paperwork that needs typing up and filing away, coffee to be made—”

“Doughnuts to be eaten.”

He ignored her comment. “I’d like you to do some shooting practise when you get the time, so you’re not rusty if called upon. Your daddy taught you girls how to handle a gun, didn’t he?”

“Once or twice. Willa was older so got more attention in that department.”

“Won’t hurt to refresh your memory.”

Blue eyes lit up. “You’re giving me a gun?”

“No, but you can purchase one and carry it as long as you have a permit.”

“Sheriff,” Nicole called out from the doorway. “Sorry to interrupt, but I just took a call about a body.”

Nedley sighed wearily. “All right, let’s go. You too, Wynonna.”

*** * * * ***

As Nicole parked behind Nedley’s patrol car in an affluent neighbourhood, Wynonna looked around at the crowd already lingering, recognising more than one face. “Won’t be long before versions of this are all over Purgatory.”

“Come on,” Nicole encouraged as she undid her seatbelt. “Let’s see what we’ve got.” She climbed out of her car and set her Stetson on her head as she glanced around the crowd, before walking over to the sheriff to get her orders.

Blowing out a breath as she reminded herself she was now on the side of the law, Wynonna climbed out of the car and followed Nicole.

“I’ll get started on questioning our witnesses,” Nedley was saying. “You head on in and take a look around, see exactly what we’re dealing with.”

Giving a nod of acquiescence, Nicole headed for the house, noting that it was neat with no signs of neglect, a fresh coat of paint brightening the family home. The front garden was awash with spring life, the lawn vibrant and trimmed low. Stepping inside was a different story. A chill came over her as she sensed something bad had happened here.

The smell of blood hit her nostrils, but other than that there were no signs that anything was wrong. It was only when she stopped in the living room doorway that she realised why the caller had been so upset.

“Nedley said that the neighbour who found the body walked in after seeing the front door open,” Wynonna said as she stepped inside the house. Walking over to stand next to her taller friend, her eyes widened as she took in the scene that greeted her. “Whoa.”

A headless woman lay dead on the floor, dark red almost black blood stained the once pristine white carpet. The head wasn’t far away and was facing the bay window so they couldn’t see the face. Above the fireplace on the once white wall was a scrawled message in dripping red letters.

“Repent sinners,” Wynonna read. “What does that mean?”

“I’m not sure.”

“Is it written in her blood?”

“Looks like. It’ll need to be tested.” Nicole frowned as she looked around. “There’s no sign of a struggle.”

“Maybe the killer got the jump on her.” Moving into the room and walking around the body, Wynonna got a good look at the woman’s face. “God damn. Megan Halshford.”

Nicole moved closer, taking a good look at the somewhat familiar face. “Didn’t she got to school with us?”

“Yeah. God, I couldn’t stand her.”

“Seems like you’re not the only one.”

“I didn’t kill her.” The statement was defensive and tinged with hurt.

“I didn’t say you did.”

“I can tell you think it in the way you looked at me.”

“I’m not looking at you in any way at all,” Nicole insisted.

“Good. Because I didn’t do it.”

“I know,” Nicole smiled, a glint of mischief in her eyes. “You know how I know?”

“Because I’m your best friend and you know I’m not capable of something like this?”

“Because she was killed some time this morning and you don’t like to get up before noon.”

“Arsehole.” Wynonna rolled her eyes. “You remember that her dad owned the local slaughterhouse, right?” she asked as her attention returned to Megan.

She hadn’t until Wynonna reminded her. “Yeah. He used to supply the basketball team with the most amazing hamburgers. Wait… didn’t she fill your locker with entrails?”

“Not a one time thing, Haught-dog. Every Friday.” Blue eyes settled on the redhead, the protective older sister in her coming to the surface. “Did you say goodbye to my sister last night?”

Startled by the question, Nicole looked at Wynonna and found her friend defiantly staring back. “What?”

“She thinks you said goodbye. So help me God, if you break her heart.”

“I… we…” Nicole shook her head. “I’m not talking about this with you, Wynonna. Especially not in the middle of a crime scene.”

“I don’t think Megan cares.” The brunette shifted her weight, horribly uncomfortable with the seriousness of this conversation but wanting to do right by Waverly. “She was a mess, Nicole.”

“This whole situation is a mess, Wynonna!” Nicole snapped. “Sorry,” she quickly apologised. “I shouldn’t yell at you. It’s just…” She exhaled heavily. “It’s a mess.”

“Yeah. Yeah, it is. I told her to sort her head out.”

“There’s a lot to sort out.”

Blue eyes drifted around the room. “So, what do we do now?”

“Collect evidence, photograph the scene, wait for the morgue guys to turn up and retrieve the body. Might be awhile, those jokers like to keep us hanging around.”

“When you say collect evidence, does that mean I can go through her stuff?”

“You can’t, I can.”

“Consulting blows,” Wynonna huffed,

*** * * * ***

Once evidence had been collected, photos of the scene taken, the body removed, it was back to the station to go over what they knew so far. They hadn’t eaten since lunch and the local press had caught wind of what was going on and hounded them all afternoon. Now early evening, Nedley sat wearily behind his desk, while Nicole and Wynonna sat opposite looking as fresh as they had earlier in the day.

“All right, so what do we know?”

“Those pants are looking a little tight on you, Nedders,” Wynonna quipped.

He shot her a withering look. It was bad enough that Chrissy had been on at him. So he liked chilli maybe a little too much and a cold beer when not on duty, a man had to have a few vices otherwise what was the point in living? “About the case?”

“Megan Halshford was murdered some time this morning,” Nicole answered. “There was no sign of a break-in, no sign of a struggle. She was decapitated.” Looking into Nedley’s eyes, an unspoken suspicion passed between them.

“Uh, Sheriff,” Lonnie appeared in the doorway. “I’m getting a lot of calls about your case and Mrs. Loblaw is at the front desk demanding to know what’s going on. What should I tell everyone?”

“At this time we’re still in the early stages of our investigation. I’ll update them later,” Nedley told him. “As for Bunny, tell her to take a seat and I’ll get to her when I can.”

“What will you tell the press?” Nicole asked once Lonnie had retreated.

“Anything but the truth,” he sighed sadly.

“What is the truth?” Wynonna asked, looking from one to the other and feeling like she had missed something.

“We could have ourselves a serial killer.”

“Curtis was decapitated,” she twigged. “But...” She frowned as pieces of the puzzle started shifting. “There was no message next to him, right?” She scowled at Nicole. “Or there was and you didn’t tell me.”

Nicole shook her head. “There was no message, Wynonna. We searched the whole field twice over. There was nothing.”

“So, two possibilities,” Nedley murmured more to himself than to them. “One, we have a serial killer. Or two, this is unconnected and plain old Purgatory bad luck.” He sat back in his chair and folded his hands over his belly.

“It would be quite a coincidence,” Nicole pointed out.

“Repent sinners,” Wynonna repeated the message from Megan’s wall. “Curtis wasn’t a sinner. He was one of the nicest guys in Purgatory, loyal and faithful to Gus, a good man who tried to help out those who needed it, and the best uncle.” She swallowed as a lump formed in her throat, wishing she hadn’t caused him and Gus so much grief when she was a kid.

“What about Megan?” Nedley asked. “What do we know about her?”

“Total bitch,” Wynonna retorted.

“In high school,” Nicole put in. “Her father owned the slaughterhouse and Megan used to put entrails in Wynonna’s locker. I’m guessing Wynonna wasn’t her only target.”

Looking from his deputy to Wynonna, Nedley’s moustache twitched. “This isn’t high school. People tend to move past juvenile—” He trailed off because he knew he was wrong, not everyone did grow up and mature. “So, you’re thinking she upset someone and they murdered her?” he directed at Nicole.

“Not it,” Wynonna stated, hands up in a show of innocence.

“We’ll start digging around her life,” Nicole told him. “See what comes up.”

“Until we know something concrete, I’ll hold off on calling in outside help,” Nedley decided, not wanting government agencies poking their unwanted noses in and taking over. “Here.” He held out a slip of paper for Nicole. “One of the neighbours saw a car leaving Megan’s home this morning at speed. Run the plate and see what comes up. Then get on to the medical examiner, see if they have any useful information for us.”

Nodding, Nicole took the paper and stood. “Come on, Wy, you can help me out.”

“That doesn’t sound like consulting and that’s what I do, right?”

Leaning forward, Nedley pushed the sheet of paper he had given her earlier that day towards her. “In that case, you can fill this in for me and make your role official.”

Wynonna scowled. “So, my choices are paperwork or paperwork?”

“Welcome to the thrilling life of a police officer.”

Sitting at her desk after grabbing a coffee, Nicole entered the partial number plate into the system and blinked as a familiar name popped up. “Huh.”

“What? Who is it?” Wynonna leaned in and read the details. “You’re shitting me! Samantha ‘Perky Tits’ Baker! Another one of the Britney’s who froze me out in high school.”

“They did go around in the same circles in school, so I guess it’s no real surprise that she was at Megan’s,” Nicole summarised.

“It is a surprise to find out she’s a murderer. I never would have thought she had it in her.”

“We don’t know that she did anything, Wynonna. Don’t jump to conclusions.” Looking up at her friend, she frowned as she found her eating out of a Tupperware box. “Where did you get that?”

“She was seen speeding away from the scene,” Wynonna said of Samantha. “Guilty!”

“We were just in Nedley’s office, when did you have time to find food?”

“Someone left it on the front desk. Waste not, want not.”

“It’s Lonnie’s.”

“Who says? If the people of Purgatory want to donate food to the hard working officers of law we should all have dibs.”

Nicole pointed at the neatly written label on the box. “His name’s on it.” Standing up, she walked over to the coat rack where her jacket and Stetson were hanging. “Put it back where you found it. We’re going to go and have a little chat with Ms. Baker.”

“Now?” Wynonna whined. “We’ve been working all day.”

“Welcome to being a grown-up. Most of the time it sucks.”

*** * * * ***

Like Megan, Samantha Baker lived in one of the better neighbourhoods of Purgatory, which didn’t surprise either Nicole or Wynonna. The woman had been a class-A bitch in high school, as head cheerleader she always acted better than everyone else, was quick to look down her nose, and quicker still to throw out a vicious comment.

Opening her front door, Samantha blinked as she took in who was standing in front of her. “Wynonna Earp, as I live and breathe! I heard you skipped town. Where have you been?”

“As far from here as I could get,” Wynonna smiled tightly.

“But now you’re back? I heard you were wanted for questioning in connection with—”

“Can we come in, Ms. Baker?” Nicole interrupted, sounding as professional as she looked.

Squinting at Nicole, recognition flashed across Samantha’s face. “And Nicole Haught. Quite the reunion!”

“We’re here on police business, Ms. Baker.”

“Regarding your old friend Megan Halshford,” Wynonna put in gleefully. She would love nothing better if Samantha was the murderer. Annoyingly, she looked good even this late in the day, her cheerleader physique still in place, her hair perfect, make-up flawless. Oh, to see her in handcuffs!

Samantha opened the door wider and smiled as she stepped aside to let them enter her home. “Can I get you something to drink? Tea, coffee, whiskey.” She offered the last while looking at Wynonna.

Seeing Wynonna’s lips part and knowing she was about to accept, Nicole jumped in. “Your car was seen leaving Megan’s house this morning. And not long after that she was discovered brutally murdered.”

“Murdered?” Feeling wobbly, Samantha took a seat on the sofa. It looked brand new and not yet used. In fact, the whole room looked like it belonged in a magazine. “You don’t think I did it, do you?”

“Did you?” Wynonna asked.

“You were at the scene,” Nicole pointed out. “You fled the scene at high speed.”

Samantha shook her head. “I didn’t do anything to Megan. Though God would forgive me if I had!”

Nicole frowned upon hearing that. “What do you mean by that?”

“I’ve barely spoken to Megan since high school. Out of the blue, she called me and says I have to go over right away. She was totally freaking out and not making much sense, saying she needed to confess something.”

Nicole and Wynonna looked at each other, the message on Megan’s wall suddenly having a meaning after all.

“Confess what?” Nicole questioned.

Staring at Wynonna, Samantha suddenly shook her head. “Sorry. I’m still trying to wrap my head around why anyone would give Wynonna Earp a badge.”

She didn’t technically have a badge, but what Samantha didn’t know couldn’t hurt her.

“What did Megan confess, Samantha?” Nicole pressed. “You said you hadn’t spoken since high school, so what was so important that she called you now?”

“Okay, so, on the last day of school there was this big bash. You two were there, right? Getting destroyed as usual.”

“I never got destroyed,” Nicole replied. That night she had been more interested in trying to sneak off with Waverly.

“Think that was directed at me,” Wynonna said helpfully. “Go on.”

“I remember walking home and as I got close, I saw red lights spinning on top of a patrol car parked outside my house. I thought my parents had called the police on me for not being home by my curfew,” she laughed bitterly. “The officer was at the door telling my...” she choked up and paused to clear her throat, “...telling my mother my dad had been killed in a hit-and-run.”

“I remember that,” Nicole spoke up. “Last I heard, they didn’t find the person responsible, right?”

“That’s what Megan wanted to confess to me,” Samantha said, body tight with old hurts and fresh anger. “It was her. She was the driver. She begged me to forgive her like her life depended on it.”

“Did you?” Wynonna asked, suspecting she already knew the answer.

Samantha gave a little shake of her head. “She killed my dad. She killed him and left him there like an animal, then kept quiet all these years. Some people you can’t forgive, no matter how hard they try to convince you they’re sorry.”

“Then what?” Nicole asked.

Samantha blinked at her. “I left. I couldn’t bare to look at her.” She sat up a little straighter, defiance on her face. “When I left she was still alive and sobbing hysterically.”

“You didn’t see anyone or hear anyone else in the house?” Wynonna asked, remembering there had been no sign of a break-in.

“No. I didn’t see anyone and the only thing I could hear was Megan crying and begging forgiveness. Do you… do you think the killer was there?”

Back outside and seated in the patrol car, Nicole looked at an unusually quiet Wynonna as she put her seatbelt on. “Spit it out, Wynonna.”

The brunette blinked at her. “What?”

“Whatever it is that’s got you all deep and thoughtful. And put your seatbelt on.”

Rolling her eyes, Wynonna nonetheless did as requested. “You remember back then, right? I was fresh off my roadkill removal stint.”

“I remember things were never easy for you.”

“Yeah, to say the least!” Wynonna scoffed. “Because my clothes were wrong, because I’d been to juvie, because my mother had run off and my father had been killed, those Britney’s went out of their way to make me feel like a loser, like I wasn’t worthy of breathing the same air, like I didn’t belong in town.”

“Where’s this going, Wy?” Nicole asked softly.

“That bash Samantha mentioned.”

“Mm-hmm. I was there with you. Well, I arrived with you, then you disappeared on me.”

“Yeah, I wasn’t off getting wasted. I was hooking up with Megan’s boyfriend.”

“Brad?”

“Didn’t even like him. I just wanted to hurt Megan the best way I knew how. She, uh, she found me on top of him, and...” She puffed out her cheeks. “Paybacks a bitch.”

“I don’t see what this—”

“She lost it, Nicole. Big time. Bawled her eyes out, mascara running, total mess. I think it was the first time in her life something hadn’t gone her way. She was so used to getting what she wanted, you know? Anyway, she grabbed Brad’s car keys and peeled out. Problem is she couldn’t drive.” She looked guiltily at Nicole. “I never thought about how she got home that night, I was just glad that I’d got one up on her. Only now I find out—”

“It’s not your fault, Wynonna. We were kids, we all make mistakes. Megan’s was to get in a car she couldn’t drive. You didn’t make her do that.”

“No, but my actions contributed.”

“I don’t blame you at all. We have choices to make throughout our lives and she made the wrong one that night.” Turning on the engine, Nicole pulled out onto the road. “At least now we know what Megan’s sin was. We just have to figure out who else knew.”

“But not now, right. I mean, it’s after six, practically drink o’clock.” Her voice had a pleading tone to it. “Surely you clock off at some point and the night guys take over.”

“This is our case, Wynonna. Aren’t you excited?”

“Excited to go and get a drink. Or at least something to eat.” She scowled at her friend. “Should you be so happy about people being murdered?”

“You scoffed down half of Lonnie’s pasta bake. If anyone should be hungry, it’s me.” Realising the truth in that, Nicole drummed her fingers on the steering wheel as a plan came to mind. “You up for some Chinese?”

“Yes!” Blue eyes lit up in delight. “Put me down for...”

“Gong Bao chicken with enough hot sauce to blind a T-rex,” Nicole smiled fondly.

“Ah, you remember.”

“We’ve been best friends forever, Wy. I think I know pretty much everything about you, even things I wish I didn’t know.”

“True dat,” Wynonna grinned.

“And for the record, I’m not happy that people are being murder. I’m just excited to have a case to myself. A big case. A case that doesn’t involve runaway dogs or men driving without a license.” Stopping at a light, she pulled her phone out of her pocket. “Call Waverly. Let her know you’re working late.”

“Sure, Mum.” Rolling her eyes, Wynonna did as requested anyway, knowing Waverly would only worry if she didn’t touch base. “Sorry, baby girl. Haught-to-trot's asked me on a dinner date. Pretty sure she’s gonna confess her undying love for me. No hard feelings?”

“ _I don’t believe you. What are you really doing?_ ”

“You believe a little.”

“ _Do not._ ”

Wynonna smiled, she used to take great delight in tormenting Waverly when they were young. She supposed nothing much had changed. “Working a case. Bossy pants said we’re working late, so I’ll see you when I see you.”

“ _Okay. Thanks for calling._ ”

“Broken up with Champ yet? Hello? Waves?” She looked at the phone in disbelief. “She hung up on me.”

“Can you blame her?” Smiling, Nicole headed into town, Chinese food, the possibility of Waverly actually leaving Champ and an almost non-existent suspect list all on her mind.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I meant to have this posted last weekend but have been busy doing a last review on my soon to be released novel. Very important, it needed my undivided attention.
> 
> Back to this story - A massive thank you to all of you who have sent kudos and comments, it makes me smile to read your thoughts and feelings on each chapter. So, here we go. I think you might hate me, but then you might not....  
> Wanna yell at me on Twitter? - @Hartley_Blaze

**T** hursday morning, Waverly knocked on Wynonna’s bedroom door to wake her sister up before heading for the kitchen to put the kettle on. She had barely seen her sister over the last couple of days and was curious as to what was keeping Wynonna busy all hours. She had heard the gossip in town about there being a madman on the loose, about Megan being the one who killed Samantha Baker’s father when they were back in high school, and a range of other more elaborate reasons for her demise. Waverly took it all with a pinch of salt.

What she did know was that for the last two days, Nicole had been turning up in the morning to pick up her reluctant-to-rise-sister because they apparently had a lot of work to do and without someone to drive her in, Wynonna wouldn’t show up until noon if they were lucky.

“What are you doing?” the dishevelled brunette grumbled as she shuffled into the kitchen looking hungover.

“Rough night?”

“I didn’t think consulting would actually involve so much work,” Wynonna complained. “What are you doing?”

“Trying to read your notes. Your writing is atrocious, Wynonna.”

“Yeah, well, that will teach ’em to make me do paperwork.”

“I can’t believe Megan Halshford was murdered. I always loved her.”

“You didn’t know her like I did.” Wynonna flopped down into a chair. “On the upside, we closed the case on who killed Samantha Baker’s father. Nedley is very happy with us. You can tell by the way his moustache twitches.”

“That rumour’s true?” Waverly asked in surprise.

“Yep.”

Dropping the notepad, Waverly moved to pour Wynonna a cup of coffee. “Do you have any leads on who killed Megan?”

“Can’t discuss the case, baby girl.”

“I thought you were just consulting?” She handed the steaming mug over.

“So did I. Ow!”

“That’s hot.”

Wynonna pulled a face at her. “No kidding.” She blew on the contents of her cup. “The case is strange and hard to explain. Bit like your relationship with Champ.”

Waverly rolled her eyes. “You’re hardly qualified to give me relationship advice, Wynonna. I know you’re not happy with him—”

“No, but for some stupid reason you married him.”

“Wynonna,” Waverly sighed. Her sister could be unbearable when the mood struck her, but Waverly couldn’t stay mad at her because she knew it was only because Wynonna cared.

“I know, I know, you were pregnant and you thought you were doing to right thing. We’ll be fine,” Wynonna reassured her, not entirely sure she was telling the truth. “Just as soon as he realises his place in the pecking order.” She frowned. “What does that mean anyway? Something to do with chickens?” She shook away the thought. “I didn’t think he’d be moving in full-time if I’m honest. The way you were talking the other night, I thought you were hinting at leaving him.”

“We haven’t had a chance to sit down and talk.”

“Waverly,” Wynonna breathed. “It’s been three days.”

“I’m working up to it. This is… huge, a huge decision. I can’t just… blurt it out. It all needs careful planning.”

“It’s like ripping a plaster off, it hurts for a second but then it’s done.”

“He’s leaving today for an event. I don’t want to dump this on him before an event, you know how dangerous the rodeo can be.”

“And when he gets back?”

“Why is this case strange and hard to explain?” Waverly asked instead of answering, her curiosity piqued.

Staring at her younger sister over the rim of her cup, Wynonna saw Waverly wasn’t prepared to talk about her messed up life right now. She backed off. “The killer wrote repent sinners on the wall in Megan’s blood. We’ve been trying to find out who she had upset lately, other than Samantha who was cleared of all suspicion, and looking into whether this case ties in with Uncle Curtis’s murder.”

“What does Nicole think?”

“Despite similarities in the cases, she doesn’t think they’re connected. Nor does Nedley. I think differently.”

“How is she?” Waverly asked softly, avoiding looking at Wynonna for fear of her feelings being blatantly obvious.

A funny quip was on the tip of her tongue, but Wynonna bit it back. Sometimes, she just had to be sincere. “She’s okay. Throwing herself into this case.”

“Make sure she eats properly.”

“I’m not her mother, Waverly.”

“No, you’re her friend. And friends make sure their recently separated friend eats something other than junk food day in day out.” She stared at her sister sternly until Wynonna acknowledged her point. “Talking of eating, do you want breakfast? I can make you some toast.”

“Yeah, okay.”

“You should talk to Father Robert Malick,” Waverly said as she turned to grab the bread. “He’s a hellfire revivalist minister known to rail against women, demanding that they repent.” She frowned in thought. “He used to hang around town upsetting everyone, but I haven’t seen him recently.”

“Maybe he got tired of preaching and turned to murder. I’ll mention him to Nicole.”

They both looked towards the door as a car horn sounded. “Nicole’s here.”

“Wanna go say hi?”

“She’s obviously in a rush to get going otherwise she would have knocked.” Nicole hadn’t knocked once over the last couple of days and Waverly got the feeling she was being avoided.

Rolling her eyes at the two clueless idiots in her life, Wynonna gulped down the rest of her coffee and got to her feet. “You going to be all right without me here?”

“Uh-huh.”

“Well, if you get lonely, you call me. Or Nicole. I’m sure she would be happy to come on over and keep you company.” She wiggled her eyebrows.

“Wynonna,” Waverly sighed, weary of people interfering in her life. As the toaster popped, she grabbed the two slices and swiftly buttered them. “Say hi to her from me.”

“And blow a kiss?”

“Wynonna!”

Outside, sporting a wide grin, Wynonna slid into the passenger seat of Nicole’s patrol car and offered the redhead a slice of toast.

“I’ve eaten, thanks.”

“Waverly says hi.”

“How is she?”

“You would know if you stopped avoiding her. That is what you’re doing, right?”

Pulling out onto the road, Nicole puffed out her cheeks. “It’s complicated, Wy.”

“Do you think I’ve pulled her too close?” Wynonna’s voice was small and uncertain.

“No, of course not. You two deserve some bonding time and with you having been out of the country for a few years, you’ve got a lot to catch up on.”

“I thought that, but it’s only been a few days and I’ve been hearing gossip around town. The word freak is being whispered because she moved back to the homestead.”

Brown eyes rolled. “These are the same people who voted her nicest person in Purgatory,” Nicole protested. “They gave her a sash.”

“Really?”

“That’s what I heard.”

“Was that before or after she was Prom Queen?”

“She was Prom Queen?”

Wynonna threw her hands in the air. “Jesus, we’ve both missed major moments in her life. We’re bad people, Nicole.”

“To be fair, I was away at college. And also, kinda not talking to her by then.”

“Maybe I should have encouraged her to stay with Gus. We all know I’m the town pariah.”

Nicole drummed her fingers on the steering wheel. “Look, I think...” she exhaled, trying to sort out her thoughts, “...that Waverly has spent her whole life tailoring who she is for the people she’s with. She could do with figuring out what she really wants, who she wants to be.”

“Ah, dude, I wish she had married you. You’d both be blissfully happy and not worrying about the dickheads in Purgatory.”

Staring at the road ahead, Nicole’s heart ached for the life she had wanted but didn’t have, ached for what could have been. She shook her head and tried to smile. “It’s all in the past and we all have to make do with our lot.”

Hearing the melancholy in her friend’s voice, Wynonna’s gaze left the passing landscape and settled on the redhead. “How are things between you and Shea?”

Confused at the turn in conversation, Nicole glanced at Wynonna, trying to work out why she was asking. “Amicable. We always were good friends.”

“She find somewhere to live yet?”

“Yeah. She’s just waiting for a day off now so she can make the move.”

“So, that’s it then? Done for good?”

“I guess so.” Nicole suddenly felt like a failure. Maybe they should have tried harder to make it work. “I mean, we haven’t spoken about getting a divorce yet, but I guess… I guess that will happen. Eventually.”

“Are you eating right?”

Amused by the question, brown eyes left the road and met blue. “What?”

“Waverly asked me to make sure you’re eating right.” She shrugged. “She worries.”

“Yes, I’m eating right,” Nicole smiled. “She sends lunch over every day from Shorty’s.”

“That’s where you’re getting it from? How come she doesn’t send me anything?”

“She likes me more.”

“I’m her best sister,” Wynonna replied indignantly.

“I’m sure she’d feed you if you asked.”

Folding her arms, Wynonna went into a full on sulk. “Forget it. I’ll take my trade elsewhere.”

“Where, the Tatenhill Diner?”

“Maybe.” They both knew she was lying. “She thinks we should look up a Father Malick.”

“Who, Waverly?”

“Who else?”

“Father Malick?” Nicole pondered the name. “That crazy guy who used to scare us when we were kids? Always in town ranting and raving at women, about women, demanding they…” Then she got why Waverly made the suggestion. “Repent,” she breathed out. “I love the way her mind works.”

“Just her mind?” Wynonna smirked.

“Why were you talking to Waverly about the case?”

Wynonna scoffed. “Uh, she was reading my notes. You know Waves and her curiosity.”

“I’ll forgive her because she just gave us a great lead.”

“I’ve got a great lead.”

“Is this a sex joke?”

“No! Seriously. I was at Shorty’s last night and happened to notice a card game going on. Most of the faces I recognised, but right in the middle of the group is some new guy. Handsome devil with baby blues and a moustache that puts Nedley’s to shame. Knowing that people like to gossip, I asked around about him. Nobody knows anything.”

Nicole frowned at her friend. “What’s your lead?”

“It could be him, right? You hear about drifters walking into town and doing shit.”

“I’ve never heard that.”

“It’s a thing,” Wynonna insisted, thinking back to her own misdeeds. “Anyway, if we’re looking into Father Malick on Waverly’s word, we should look into John Henry on mine.”

“John Henry?”

“Yeah, get this, his name’s John Henry Holliday.”

“Well, that’s made up for sure,” Nicole decided.

“Exactly. So, what’s he hiding?”

“I suppose it won’t hurt to look him up,” Nicole acquiesced.

*** * * * ***

Having gotten used to Nicole not getting out of her car each morning, Waverly was surprised by the knock on the door on Monday morning. “Nicole, hi,” she greeted in surprise.

“Morning, Waves.” Nicole smiled, feeling better for seeing the smaller woman. She had done her best to avoid Waverly since their last conversation because she knew they both needed some space, but it had been torture. This morning as she had turned on to Earp land she had felt her resolve crumbling, her desire to see Waverly growing stronger. She had told herself it wouldn’t hurt if she just said hello.

“You don’t usually knock. I was starting to think you were avoiding me,” Waverly said, not joking in the least. She searched brown eyes for answers and saw how tumultuous they were.

“I… work. I mean, work has kept me busy.”

“You come and pick Wynonna up every morning.”

Nicole didn’t have a comeback. She didn’t want to get into a deep and meaningful conversation this early in the morning. Waverly, on the other hand, was a woman who wanted answers and wasn’t about to hold back now that the redhead was in front of her. She stepped out onto the porch and pulled the door closed behind her, giving them a little privacy.

“Last time we stood out here together, it felt like we were saying goodbye,” Waverly said softly, eyes on Nicole as she tried to decipher what the other woman was thinking. “I don’t want to say goodbye to you, Nicole. You’ve been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. I don’t think I can walk down the street and not acknowledge you, or go around pretending we barely know each other.”

“I could never say goodbye to you, Waves. I just… I realised that the timing was off for us. I realise it was probably always going to be off for us. So, I guess it was a goodbye to the hope of there ever being an us.” She blinked as her eyes stung from the arrival of tears. “Friendship or nothing.”

“Nicole...”

“But as I drove away from the homestead, I realised I can’t be just your friend, because you’ve never been just a friend to me. You’ve always been my everything,” she exhaled. “I spent this entire week distancing myself, trying to get my feelings under control, trying to get into a suitable head space, because if we’re going to be friends, I can’t carry on thinking of you as the one who got away.”

Waverly shook her head as she slid her hand along the porch rail towards Nicole’s resting hand. “I’ve been doing a lot of thinking lately. A lot more than I usually do. Thinking about how much influence people have had on my life, about me living the way they all expect me to, and I’m not doing it any more. I refuse to sacrifice any more of my happiness just to live in the box they’ve created for me. I’ve realised how unhappy I am with my life, how I’ve been smiling and pretending all is well when it isn’t.”

Silence fell as Waverly finished her impassioned speech, Nicole trying to figure out where this was going and not sure she wanted to know. She wasn’t ready to be hurt again.

“I’m… I’m leaving Champ,” Waverly confessed softly, instantly feeling like a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. “I… I haven’t talked to him yet, but I’m going to.” She nodded, as if to convince herself she was really going to do it.

Nicole blinked as she gathered her thoughts, trying to think of an appropriate response other than yippee. She opted to be an adult about it. “I’m sorry to hear that, Waves.”

“Are you?”

“Of course. It’s always sad when a marriage doesn’t work. I would know.” She shrugged and smiled sadly. “But don’t leave him because of me or because of what people tell you to do.”

“I’m not. It’s been a long time coming.”

Needing space to think, Nicole took a step away. “It won’t sort everything out though, Waverly. If anything, it creates more problems.”

“Problems? How can it create problems? We’ll be free to finally be together.”

“No, we wont!” Nicole spun around to face the smaller woman. “We’ll both still be married. Separated, but married.”

“That’s a start.”

“Shea will be happy for me if I told her we had finally got our act together, because we parted on friendly terms. Can you say the same about Champ? I have a feeling that if we go anywhere near each other, he’ll use it against you in your divorce, in your custody hearing.”

“What custody hearing?”

“You don’t think he’ll fight for custody of Aurora?”

Waverly scoffed. “Champ’s barely been around for most of her life. Why would he want full-time custody of her?”

“To spite you, to spite us. He’s always had a problem with me because of my sexuality.”

Confused by that statement, Waverly frowned. “You weren’t out when we were growing up. How could he have—”

“He didn’t know, nobody knew,” Nicole clarified. “But they all suspected. You must have heard the whispers around town, the rumours. How many times were you told to stay away from me?”

More times than she cared to admit, just as Nicole had probably been cautioned to stay away from her and Wynonna. She bristled with anger. “Well, I’m not going to stay with him just to make him happy!”

“And I’m not suggesting that, but...” Nicole took a step closer, “we can’t jump into anything. Even if we wanted to.”

Waverly took a small step forward, like a moth to a flame, the space between them almost non-existent, and looked up into brown eyes that expressed so much. “Do you?” she asked softly, barely daring to ask but needing to know. “Want something to happen?”

Nicole wanted to say to hell with it and kiss Waverly deeply and passionately, she wanted to wrap the smaller woman in her arms and hold her tight, wanted to take her to bed and familiarise herself with forgotten sensitive spots. But she couldn’t. Wouldn’t. If they were going to do this, they had to do it respectfully. She had to do it respectfully, even if Champ was a royal dickhead. Because if they did this, it was forever as far as she was concern.

“I’m still married,” she said as lightly as she could manage. “And you haven’t even spoken to Champ about any of this.”

“But when I do.” To her own ears she sounded desperate and she supposed she was. After spending so many years without the one she truly loved, she wanted to be sure they were on the same page.

Nicole licked suddenly dry lips and shrugged. “I guess we’ll see.” She took a step backwards. “I should go.”

“Aren’t you here to pick up Wynonna? She’s in the shower, I think. Do you uhm… want to come in for a coffee?”

Puffing out her cheeks, Nicole nodded slowly. “Sure.” Stepping inside, she shut the door behind herself and followed Waverly to the kitchen, where they found Aurora sitting on the floor in a puddle of milk and mushy cereal.

“Look, Mama, I made bwekfast,” she announced proudly as she looked up. “Nico!” Getting to her feet, she flung herself at the tall woman’s legs. “I haven’t seen you for ever.”

“Hey, Aurora.” Scooping the mini version of Waverly up, Nicole spun her around and smiled as the girl giggled. “How are you this fine, drizzly day?”

“Good. I made bwekfast.”

“I see that,” Nicole chuckled. “Do you want me to make her a bowl, Waves?”

“Could you, while I clean this up?” Grabbing a cloth, Waverly started mopping up the mess her little angel had made, grateful she had someone helping her out for once.

Picking up the box of cereal, Nicole found it empty. “I think all your Lucky Charms are on the floor.”

“Oh. Cereal is kept in that cupboard,” Waverly pointed.

Opening the door, Nicole looked in at the neat line of cereal boxes. “Which one do you fancy, Aurora?”

“Coco poops!”

Waverly rolled her eyes. “That’s what Wynonna told her they were called.”

“Teaching her bad habits already, huh?” Nicole grinned.

Finished with mopping up the puddle of milk, Waverly turned her attention to throwing away the mushy remains of cereal. “How’s your case coming along? Wynonna hasn’t said much.”

“We’ve been looking into your suggestion about Father Malick. He’s proving difficult to track down, no one can remember the last time they saw him in town ranting and raving, but we got a tip on Saturday that he might be staying at Bobo’s trailer park. I wanted to drive out there, but was kept busy all day with phone calls about Mercedes’s building site.”

“What’s going on at the building site?”

“We’ve had random reports of weird noises. I’m not so sure they’re hearing anything, I think the locals are just upset about the noise of construction every day.” She set the freshly made bowl of cereal on the table, then held out a chair for Aurora to climb up onto. “We need a spoon, Waves.”

Grabbing a little pink one, Waverly handed it over and Nicole offered it to the little girl. “All set, pumpkin?”

“Uh-huh.”

“What do you say, Aurora?” Waverly questioned.

“Thank you, Nico.”

“You’re welcome,” Nicole smiled. Looking over at Waverly who was now busy making coffee, she felt a warm glow in her chest at the domesticity, realising how badly she wanted it. If it was with Waverly and Aurora all the better.

“What are you looking so happy about?” Waverly asked as she turned to grab what was left of the milk.

“Just enjoying the company.” She looked over at the doorway as Wynonna stumbled through. “Hey, Wynonna.”

The brunette scowled at her. “Are you early?”

“No.”

“Am I late?”

“Yep.”

Grunting, Wynonna took the mug Waverly offered her. “What are you two dorks talking about?”

“Noise complaints,” Nicole informed her.

“Did you speak to Mercedes about the noises?” Waverly asked.

“We had a quick chat and she didn’t know what I was talking about. I’ve started a file on it, but don’t expect it to go any further.”

“You know, I’ve been thinking,” Wynonna said as she slid into a chair.

“Did you hurt yourself?” Waverly teased.

“I think this murder spree ties in with me somehow.”

Nicole frowned at her friend. “Why do you say that?”

“It all comes back to me, my family, my land.”

Scooting out of her chair, Aurora crawled up onto Nicole’s lap, humming happily to herself, oblivious to the seriousness of the conversation going on around her.

“What does Megan Halshford have to do with your family and your land?” Nicole asked, tugging Aurora’s bowl towards her so the little girl could finish.

“She hated me,” Wynonna replied, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. “She used to take pleasure in making my life more miserable than what it already was.”

“So, someone killed her on your behalf years after high school finished?” Nicole asked, not seeing the logic.

Leaning back against the counter, Waverly smiled adoringly as she watched Nicole wrap her arms securely around Aurora to prevent her from falling off her lap, her heart swelling with love at the scene. She wanted this to be their mornings on a daily basis, she wanted this happy domesticity, this family love. She just needed to drum up the courage to talk to Champ.

“Because she had a link to me,” Wynonna explained.

Nicole shook her head. “I don’t think Curtis’s murder is connected.”

“He was my uncle, Nicole!”

“Our uncle,” Waverly corrected.

“But he wasn’t a sinner,” Nicole pointed out. “And no message was found at the scene. The murders could just be a coincidence. Maybe a full moon is due or something.”

“They do say people are affected by the moon,” Waverly put in, walking over to wipe Aurora’s face clean. “I think you’ve got more chocolate milk around your face than in your belly, honey.”

“I like it, Mama.”

“I can tell,” Waverly smiled.

“Shea always told me the hospital would get crazy around a full moon,” Nicole mentioned.

“I don’t think our problem is werewolves,” Wynonna scoffed.

Before anyone could respond further, they were interrupted by Champ.

“There they are,” he greeted cheerfully. “My best girls.” He frowned at Wynonna. “And Wynonna.”

“Ah, I know you care really.” She smiled sardonically at him. “Forget your clothes this morning, man-child?” He’d come down in a pair of jeans and little else.

“Waverly doesn’t mind, do you, babe?” He wiggled his eyebrows at his wife as he approached. His ardour vanished as he lay eyes on Nicole, a scowl quickly furrowing his brow. Nicole at the table with his daughter on her lap looking for all the world like she belonged there. “What the hell?” He scooped Aurora up and glared at Waverly. “Why the hell is she here getting all up close and personal with our daughter?”

“Nico is my fwiend, Daddy,” Aurora said helpfully. “She’s big. Bigger than you.”

The comment unconsciously made him flex his muscles.

Shooting an apologetic look at Nicole, Waverly frowned at Champ. “Nicole’s here to pick Wynonna up and I invited her in for coffee.”

“She’s more welcome than you, nine seconds,” Wynonna piped up.

“In trouble again, Wynonna?” he retorted. “And it was eight seconds, loser.”

“Nedley offered me a job, dipshit. Unlike you, he wants me around.”

“Yeah, whatever,” Champ dismissed, unhappy but outnumbered so smartly backing off. “Is breakfast ready, babe?” He sat down with Aurora on his lap and continued to glare at Nicole, not happy that she was there no matter what the reason.

“I haven’t started yet. Aurora decided to—”

“You had time to make them coffee,” Champ pouted. He didn’t like the way Nicole was worming her way into his wife’s life. He wasn’t totally stupid, he had heard the rumours going around when they were kids, the whispers that there was something going on between Waverly and Nicole. Those had all faded when he started dating Waverly and he realised it had all been lies by jealous people.

He had been sure it was all lies. Especially after they had finally slept together. They were happy, their marriage was working, there had been talk of adding to their little family. But then Nicole Haught had come back to town. And now he wasn’t so sure it had all been lies, especially after seeing the pair interacting with each other.

“He should make his own damn breakfast,” Wynonna growled. “You’re not the maid, Waverly.”

“It’s fine, Nonna,” Waverly assured her sister.

“Are you and Purgatory’s finest any closer to catching Curtis’s murderer then?” Champ directed at Nicole, his distaste for her clear in his voice. “Or are you too busy eating doughnuts and trying to muscle in on other peoples wives?”

“Champ!” Waverly scolded, horrified he could be so rude.

“Those powdered delicacies are delicious,” Wynonna put in. She got the feeling something was brewing and felt a thrill of excitement to witness it all go down.

Nicole looked apologetically at Waverly. She wanted nothing more than to catch whoever it was for Waverly’s sake. “We’ve been following leads, questioning everyone we think may be relevant. So far it hasn’t led anywhere, but we’re not giving up.”

“Damn straight,” Wynonna agreed heartily. “Though, not in your case, Haughty.”

“Women cops,” Champ muttered, unimpressed.

“It has nothing to do with Nicole being a woman, Champ,” Waverly admonished. “The leads haven’t been helpful yet is all.”

“Don’t defend her,” he snapped. “You should be angry that they’re no closer to solving Curtis’s murder now than they were on the first day it happened.”

“I have no reason to be angry. I have faith in Nicole, faith in her ability as an officer.” Waverly smiled shyly at the redhead.

“I guess I’m expecting too much,” Champ huffed. “They still haven’t caught whoever it was who shot your dad all those years ago.”

“You ran ranch security with Curtis, didn’t you, Champ?” Nicole asked, having seen the flash of hurt on Waverly’s face and reacting. “Except on the morning he was killed.”

Seeing Champ’s lips part, Waverly realised she should probably distract him before someone said something they regretted, or Champ did something that Nicole had to arrest him for. “What do you want for breakfast, Champ?” she asked, smiling her best smile. She watched him smile back in a way that made her nervous.

“You. These two are leaving soon, right? We can uh… go back to bed.” He wiggled his eyebrows.

Wynonna gagged, while Nicole’s gaze dropped to the cup in front of her.

“To eat, Champ,” Waverly tried to correct only to realise that could be taken out of context too. “An omelette,” she hurriedly suggested. Blushing deeply, she turned and hurried over to the fridge for the eggs, not caring it he wanted an omelette or not, because either way he was getting one.

Putting Aurora on the floor, Champ stood up and moved to stand behind Waverly, his arms wrapping tightly around her lithe waist, his lips leaving loud sloppy kisses on her neck.

Waverly could hear her sister fake gagging again and squirmed in an effort to get free of his hold. “Champ, we have company.”

“Ah, babe, I just want to thank you for last night. It was amazing, one of our best nights,” he said obnoxiously louder than was necessary. “Epic. If we keep that up, Aurora’s gonna have a little brother or sister in no time.”

Nicole stood quickly, her chair scraping loudly on the floor. “We should get going, Wynonna.” And with that, she was off.

Horrified with his behaviour, Waverly elbowed Champ in the belly to get him to back off and hurried after Nicole, needing to explain, to apologise. “Nicole!” The deputy was already out of the house by the time she managed to catch up. “Nicole, we’re not—”

“I really don’t want to hear about it, Waverly,” Nicole grimaced.

“He’s been going on about us having another baby for the past few months,” Waverly informed her, wanting her to know it wasn’t something she wanted, wasn’t something that was going to happen, not with Champ anyway.

“That’s your business. Between you and your husband.”

“Nicole—” She shoved the car door shut as the redhead opened it, determined to say her piece. “I wasn’t lying when I told you I’m leaving him. I just haven’t had the chance to talk to him yet.”

Nicole wanted to believe everything that Waverly was saying, but she had been hurt before and refused to be again. “I have to go.”

“You do believe me, don’t you?” Waverly’s voice held more than just a hint of desperation to it.

Brown eyes looked past Waverly to Wynonna as she stepped out of the house. “I believe you have good intentions,” she said, eyes settling on the shorter woman once more. “But I’ve been hurt by you before, Waverly. You got spooked and decided that you cared more about what people in town thought of you than what we had together. I guess I’m not over it.” She gently tugged the car door open again and slipped into the vehicle. “Come on, Wynonna. We’re gonna be late.”

Watching her sister slip into the passenger seat and Nicole start the car up, Waverly felt like crying. “I’m not that scared girl any more,” she insisted. She got no response as Nicole drove away. Letting out a shaky breath, a couple of tears trailed slowly down her cheeks. Swiping them away angrily, she wondered why things were never simple when it came to her and Nicole Haught.

Champ. Immature, ignorant, homophobic, Champ! And as her anger at her husband bubbled, she spun on her heel and marched back towards the house.

*** * * * ***

Champ, at his ignorant best, wasn’t sure what was happening as Waverly stormed back into the kitchen. His stupid smirk slipped off his face though as he caught sight of his wife in all her fury.

“What the hell was that, Champ?”

He blinked up at her from where he was sitting at the table. “What?”

Picking up Aurora, Waverly marched through the house to the bottom of the staircase and put her daughter down. “Can you go upstairs to your bedroom and draw a pretty picture for Nicole, honey? I think she’d really like it.”

“We take it to her?”

“Later on we can.” Waverly smiled right up until the moment she was back in the kitchen, then she was all fury. “That stupid show of ownership you put on,” she growled at Champ. “Thanks for last night! All that happened last night was you coming home drunk and spending the night snoring and farting!”

“Whoa, babe!” He put his hands up defensively. “I did it for you. Nicole’s been sniffing around you like a dog in heat, so I put her straight.”

“By lying? By making out all is blissful with us? God!” She ran a hand through her loose locks, warily watching him get to his feet.

“Look, babe, I can see you’re stressed. Why don’t we go upstairs and shut off that big brain of yours, huh?” He smiled what he thought was his most charming smile.

Growling, Waverly shoved at his chest. “I don’t want to shut my brain off, Champ!” She took a step away from him. “You know what, I’ve been waiting for the right moment, planning it all out, but it doesn’t matter, you don’t deserve a sensible adult conversation, so I’m just going to say it. We’re done.” She smiled at the relief that flooded through her. “We’re done, Champ. I want you to move out.”

“Babe!”

“And I want a divorce.”


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm delighted so many of you enjoyed that last chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it. Onwards and upwards....

“ **I** ’m just saying, there is no way they were going at it last night,” Wynonna said as she followed Nicole into the police station.

“And I’m saying I don’t care,” Nicole huffed. “They’re married. What they do or don’t do is their business.”

Nedley stood in his office doorway and watched the pair walk in together. He didn’t like to blow his own horn, but they had been working really well together, despite their bickering, and he was more and more pleased with his decision to hire Wynonna as the days went by.

“Nicole, Wynonna,” he called out to get their attention. “A word, please.” Retreating back into his office, he took a seat behind his desk and waited for the pair to join him.

“Everything all right, Sheriff?” Nicole asked once they were seated.

“There’s been a new development.”

“Someone else has been killed?” Wynonna guessed. “Is it perky tits Baker?”

“The body was stolen over the weekend,” he directed at Nicole.

“The body? As in Megan’s body?” Nicole asked in surprise. “Why would anyone steal her body?”

“That’s what you two are going to find out. Head over to the morgue, ask questions, dust for prints, retrieve their video footage. See what you come up with. We need to know if this was a damn prank or something else.”

“If the body was stolen over the weekend, why are we only just hearing about it now?” Nicole asked.

“Apparently, bodies sometimes get misplaced or wrongly taken before they should be. Once they realised they hadn’t misplaced her, they phoned me. Get going, you’re going to have a long day ahead of you.”

“Uh, Sir, we were actually hoping to track down a potential suspect today,” Nicole said hesitantly. “I got word that he might be staying out at Bobo Del Rey’s trailer park.”

“Anyone I know?”

“Father Robert Malick. Waverly reminded us that he was fond of standing in town ranting about women, so I thought he was worth looking into, especially since he seems to have disappeared and no one can recall when they last saw him.”

Nedley considered the theory for a good few minutes before nodding. “He’s worth a look. Why were you discussing the case with Waverly?”

“Wynonna left her notepad lying around and Waverly saw it,” Nicole replied, looking at her best friend. “Though, God knows how she read it.”

“There’s nothing wrong with my writing, scribble is the new fad.”

*** * * * ***

“It’s a good idea,” Wynonna said as she and Nicole climbed out of the patrol car.

“I’m not going to kill Champ and bury him in the forest.”

“I would totally have your back. No one would ever know.” Following the redhead into the morgue, Wynonna’s face scrunched up as the unpleasant smell of chemicals and death hit her nostrils. “Eww!”

“Yeah, they say you get used to the smell.” Taking a small tin of Vaseline out of her pocket, Nicole smeared some under her nose then offered the tin to Wynonna.

The sassy brunette waved the offer away. “I spent a summer’s probation on roadkill removal, remember? This is nothing. Just took me by surprise after so many years.” Looking around, she found it creepy that no one seemed to be working on the two bodies laid out in the middle of the room. “Ah, look, it’s Alan Levens.”

“Hunting accident,” a voice behind them said.

“Jesus Christ, dude!” Wynonna gasped, spinning around and coming face-to-face with a morgue employee. “Wear a bell or something.”

“Sorry.” He didn’t look or sound sorry. “I forget I’m wearing these cotton balls for shoes, they turn me into a ninja. They also absorb the smell of the place, want a pair?”

“We’re here about the theft,” Nicole spoke up.

“Theft?” He blinked at her as though sizing her up. “Right. The Stepford wife who lost her head.” He offered her his hand. “I’m Reggie by the way. People call me Doctor Reggie.”

Nicole couldn’t pinpoint why, but she didn’t like Reggie. “I need to speak to whoever was working the night of the break-in and I need access to the video footage.”

Reggie nodded along, his face blank. “Right, you’re the law. I’m sure it will be no problem. Do you have a warrant?”

A russet eyebrow lifted. “I don’t need a warrant, your boss called us and asked for help.”

“Right.” He smiled tightly. “Let me get the work roster. I think MacGilly was working. That guy would lose his own head if it wasn’t attached.” He smiled at them and they stared back. “A sense of humour helps around here.”

“A sense of humour about people losing their heads?” Wynonna questioned.

Smiling, he walked away, leaving them standing where he had found them.

An hour and a half later, Nicole had dusted for prints, Reggie hovering over her shoulder and telling her everyone who worked there touched the fridge doors. She spoke to the morgue assistant who claimed he hadn’t seen or heard anything the night of the body snatching, and got the phone number of the seventy year old security guard and the night-shift pick-up guy, whose job it was to retrieve bodies from scenes and the hospital if and when needed.

Leaving the morgue, Wynonna inhaled fresh air deeply, trying to get the smell of death out of her nose. “Five bucks it’s the creepy morgue attendant Doctor Reggie.”

“You don’t have any facts to back that up.”

“There is something off about him. He’s creepy. He crept up on us like a snake and he tried to keep you from the video footage,” Wynonna counted off points on her fingers.

“I think snakes slither rather than creep up on people. And not one of your reasons means he’s the killer.”

“Where did he slither off to once he got bored of hovering over your shoulder, huh? Probably sitting in a darkened room with poor Megan.”

“Oh, it’s poor Megan now?” Nicole shook her head. “You can’t jump to conclusions, Wy. You have to follow the evidence.”

“I did and it led me here,” Wynonna smiled triumphantly. Seeing Nicole wasn’t convinced in the slightest, she decided to try and make it interesting. “Do you wanna bet? Loser buys dinner.”

“No. I don’t gamble.”

“Liar!” Wynonna exclaimed, outraged. “Senior year we went to that all night poker game Perry Croft put on while his parents were out of town. You took every last penny off him and his idiot hockey friends. And, you totally went to Vegas! You don’t go there to look at the lights.”

Putting the box of paperwork and footage discs into the boot of her patrol car, Nicole smiled at her friend. “I don’t gamble with you. You cheat.”

“I do not. When have I ever cheated? Name one time.”

“You cheat at drinking games.”

“I… yeah, okay, that was one time. Name another.”

Laughing, Nicole opened her door. “You said name one time. I did. I win.”

“So competitive,” Wynonna grumbled. “Ooh, is it pancake o’clock? I have a mad craving.”

“ _Deputy Haught, what’s your twenty?_ ”

Leaning into the car and picking up the radio, Nicole depressed the button. “Just got out of the morgue. We’re heading back to the station now.”

“ _The sheriff has requested your company at Shorty’s Saloon._ ”

“All right, I’m heading there now.” Sliding into the driver’s seat, she put down the radio and sighed. She really wanted to get through the video footage so they could get on with tracking down Father Malick, but it seemed like everything was against her. “Okay.” She clipped her seatbelt into place. “Lunch at Shorty’s then back to the station for a dull afternoon of watching video footage.”

*** * * * ***

“You did it?” Chrissy Nedley asked in surprise. “Like, really did it?”

“Why do you sound so surprised?”

“I don’t know. I guess it’s because for years you’ve been happy with your lot, you know?”

“Yeah,” Waverly breathed. “That Waverly is gone. This Waverly has realised that she doesn’t need to please everyone in her life, she doesn’t need to live a life that makes her miserable.”

“Good for you,” Chrissy smiled, proud of her best friend for finally waking up. “So, what now? Confess your undying love for Nicole?”

Waverly groaned, head falling to the bar top as she was reminded of the mess she was now faced with. “No,” she grumbled. “Now I have to clean up the mess.”

Not understanding, Chrissy frowned. “What mess?”

“The mess of trying to leave Champ, the mess of a divorce, the mess of convincing Nicole I’m not going to get scared and hurt her again!”

“Oh, that mess.” Chrissy smiled like it was nothing. “Girl, you two belong together. Anyone with eyes can see it. And you’ve told me Aurora adores her, so there’s no problem there. As for Champ...” She didn’t have a solution to that mess. “How did he take it?”

“He thinks I’m just angry and all I need is some time to cool off,” Waverly admitted helplessly. “I might have to sic Wynonna on him.”

“That would do it,” Chrissy nodded, having seen Wynonna in action enough times to know how scary she could be when riled.

Standing up straight, Waverly looked miserable as she met Chrissy’s sympathetic gaze. “Nicole thinks Champ will cause trouble,” she confessed softly. “If we got together before the divorce has gone through, she thinks he’ll pull every dirty trick in the book.” From the look on Chrissy’s face, she saw her best friend felt the same way and groaned unhappily again. “What am I going to do, Chrissy?”

Reaching out to take Waverly’s hands in her own, Chrissy smiled supportively. “Take one step at a time. First step, convince Champ you really mean it. It really is over between you two.”

Walking into Shorty’s, Nicole and Wynonna approached Nedley who was deep in conversation with a couple of good ol’ boys.

“I’m gonna order food, Haught-stuff. You want something?”

“I’ll have the special.”

Wynonna wandered up to the bar and smiled at her sister as Waverly stopped in front of her. “How’s it going, Waves?”

“I can’t even get into it right now!” Waverly sighed.

“Well, in that case, can I get two lunch specials and two beers.”

“I’m not serving you beer, Wynonna. You’re still working.”

“Spoilsport,” the brunette pouted. “Fine, give me an orange juice with a splash of vodka.”

“Wynonna!”

“What? I said a splash.”

“Two lunch specials and two lemonades,” Waverly noted down.

“Lemonade? What am I, a girl scout?”

“Nicole likes a lemonade with her lunch,” Waverly replied absent-mindedly as she ripped the paper off the pad and headed towards the door marked staff only.

“Wynonna!” a familiar voice called out across the saloon grabbing the brunette’s attention and that of half the patrons.

“Mercedes, hey.” She watched the redhead wiggle a shot glass invitingly. “Can’t. I’m working.”

“Get over here anyway, I feel like I’ve barely seen you since we both got back into town.”

Walking over, Wynonna noticed how good Mercedes was looking. “You look nice. Ooh, new shoes?”

“A girl needs to treat herself every now and then. I sold my place out east, returned to this hell on Earth town where I spent my youth sleeping with half the high school, and now… now my siblings are driving me crazy.” She rolled her eyes then threw back her shot. “Did you hear, my parents left most of their fortune to the town?” She laughed and it sounded almost hysterical. “Wonderful, right? Yeah, it’s great. I could just scream.” She put up her hand to get Waverly’s attention. “Two shots over here please.” Her gaze settled on Wynonna again. “Their will stipulates that the town should get a brand new community centre, named in their honour.”

Setting down a single shot in front of Mercedes, Waverly looked disapprovingly at her sister. “Wynonna, leave people alone. I’m not serving you.” She looked at Mercedes. “She’s working, Mercedes.”

“Who isn’t?” Mercedes waved her off, determined to drink away her gripes. “Did you hear about Megan?” she directed at Wynonna.

“Yeah,” Wynonna replied, eyes on her retreating sister.

“Decapitated?”

“Yeah. What’s up with Waves? She seems extra prickly today.”

“Don’t know, but she’s been deep in conversation with baby Nedley half the day. How goes operation break-up?”

Wynonna frowned at her friend. “Operation what now?”

“That’s what I’m calling your little scheme to get her away from Champ and back into Haught’s arms.”

Wynonna puffed out her cheeks. “It’s not. Every time I feel like I’m making progress, they do something that takes us three steps back. This morning Champ implied he and Waves were bumping uglies...”

“Ew!”

“I know. Anyway, Nicole’s been moody about it all day, claiming she doesn’t care what they do, when obviously she’s bothered, even though I told her it’s a lie because I heard nothing.”

“Maybe they were really quiet, like church mice quiet.”

“You have met Champ, right? Dude is always loud and obnoxious.” Blue eyes had started sweeping around the bar and landed on someone who looked like he had stepped straight off the set of Bonanza. “I’ll see you later, Mer. Duty calls.”

“Don’t be a stranger.”

Smiling her most flirtatious smile, Wynonna sidled over to the man who had caught her eyes. “Hello, friend. Still rocking the ye oldie cowboy look, huh?”

“We are not friends.” He spoke softly.

“You wound me, John Henry. We spent an enjoyable evening together in this very saloon getting our drink on.” Blue eyes burned into her and she felt a low-down thrill of excitement. There was something about him.

“I recall I was trying to play a friendly game of poker and you interrupted.”

“Buy me a round and I’ll be,” she deepened her voice to say, “much obliged.”

A hint of a smile graced his lips. “You are awful forward.”

“Well, we don’t get too many strangers around here and I’m curious about you.”

“Wynonna,” Waverly called out from behind the bar, two lunch specials in front of her.

“Until we meet again.” Striding back across to the bar, Wynonna leaned in close to her sister. “I’ve been meaning to ask you about him. Been trying to track him down all weekend and couldn’t find head nor tail of him. What’s his story?”

Glancing past her sister to the handsome stranger, Waverly smiled when she found him staring back. “No idea. He ambled in one day and ordered a beer, didn’t say much. Since then, he’s been in to play cards a couple of times with Stevie. What’s going on with your case? Did you track down Father Malick?”

“Haven’t had the chance yet. We had to go to the morgue. Get this, someone stole the body over the weekend.”

Hazel eyes widened in surprise. “Megan’s body? Why?”

“We don’t know yet.” She looked John Henry’s way again. “A charming loner who drinks too much and says too little. They’re always either running from or looking for something.”

Glancing John Henry’s way again, Waverly watched him tip his hat at them as he stood up, before moving over to the opposite corner of the saloon where a friendly game of Texas Hold ‘Em was just starting up. “He’s one of the good guys,” she decided. “There’s something about him, you know, in the eyes.”

“Everything in my body tells me he’s one of the bad boys,” Wynonna muttered thoughtfully. “My entire body.” Gaze returning to her sister, she said seriously, “I told Nicole I thought he might be worth looking into for the murders.”

“What made you suspect him?”

“He’s a stranger who wandered into town and apparently doesn’t talk too much to anyone. You watch yourself, baby girl. I know what you’re like when you get all curious about something.” Picking up the two plates, she eyed the glasses of chilled lemonade. “Don’t suppose you want to bring them over, maybe say hi to a certain moping redhead? Tell her you and chump-change aren’t bumping uglies.”

Waverly rolled her eyes. “I’m working.” She picked up the rag she used to wipe down the bar to prove her point. “You walk back and get them yourself.”

“Bad service, no tip for you. Unless one of those glasses secretly holds vodka?” Wynonna’s voice was hopeful.

“You’re still working, Wynonna.”

“You’re still not getting a tip then, Waverly.”

*** * * * ***

Walking back into the small office they had taken over to go through hours upon hours of video footage, Wynonna sat down and sighed heavily, not looking forward to another couple of hours of nothing to see. Even her every half hour toilet breaks, aka sneak-a-quick-whiskey breaks, weren’t doing anything for her mood. “Do we have to do this? We’ve already been sitting here forever,” she moaned. “We should head back to Shorty’s for happy hour. Keep our ears to the ground there, talk to suspicious John Henry and try and confirm Mercedes’s text about the rumour of Waverly and chump-change breaking up.”

“We have to get through all this,” Nicole replied, not for the first time, not even the fifth. The truth was she was desperate to run over to Shorty’s and see if Waverly was all right, but the thought that the rumour was exactly that kept her where she was.

“I’m not even a cop!” Wynonna complained. “Why do I have to do cop work?”

“Because I need help and that’s why Nedley hired you.” She looked at her pouting friend. “You help me with this and I’ll take you to Shorty’s once we’re done. First round on me.” She smiled.

“And second?” Wynonna bartered.

“Depends on how much complaining you do between now and then.”

Wynonna got through another minute of nothing before she started fidgeting again. “Can’t we leave this for the night shift?”

“Wynonna,” Nicole sighed. “It’s usually me because I’m the rookie.” Then she had an idea. “You know, you’re right, we should get out.”

“Exactly,” Wynonna smiled big and triumphant. “Shorty’s, first round on you,” she announced, getting to her feet.

“No. Bobo’s trailer park,” Nicole replied, switching off the footage and TV. “Nedley got us a warrant this afternoon and we’re more likely to catch our suspect at home at this hour.” Leaving the office, she spotted Nedley just leaving his office.

“Calling it a night already?” he asked, his disappointment shining in his eyes.

“No, Sir. I thought now might be a good time to go over to the trailer park and try and catch Father Malick at home.”

Nedley nodded approvingly. He had found out this afternoon that Malick was last known to be residing there from one of his sources and set about getting his young deputy a warrant just in case Bobo played hard-ball. “Good idea. You know how to reach me if you need me. Once you’re done there, Nicole, you’ve got a long night of watching video footage ahead of you.”

“It’s not actually on video any more, old timer,” Wynonna said helpfully.

“And I was actually going to leave the rest until tomorrow, Sir,” Nicole confessed. “There’s only so much fuzzy nothing I can take in one day.”

*** * * * ***

Bobo Del Rey’s trailer park was on the outskirts of town on the Ghost River boundary. He told anyone who would listen that it always amused him that one footstep over the invisible line and he was out of town.

Pulling into the trailer park as the day’s light was dimming, Nicole looked for the trailer she wanted, noticing that many of the residents were sitting outside their homes, fires burning in old barrels to offer light and warmth as the evening turned cooler. Her mind flashed back to her teenage years when she used to hang out here. “Exactly where Father Malick lives is anyone’s guess, so we have to stop and talk to—”

“Bobo,” Wynonna filled in.

“Who started calling him that? I can’t remember him ever being anyone but Bobo to us, but I know his name’s Robert.”

“Waverly. When we were kids, Bobo used to do some odd jobs on our land for our father. Waves had trouble saying Robert, so he told her to call him Rob, and from that it somehow morphed into Bobo.” She smiled in remembrance. “He always has had a soft spot for her. Much to Willa’s annoyance.”

Nicole smiled fondly, having happy memories of Waverly as a little girl. She was adorable even then. Smarter than all of them, always smiling and dancing around. Stopping the patrol car outside Bobo’s trailer, she undid her seatbelt as she looked out the windscreen. “Remember, Wy, you’re just a consultant.”

“So you keep saying.”

“What I’m saying is let’s keep this peaceful. We’re heavily outnumbered.”

They climbed out of the car and Nicole’s gaze roamed around the faces closest to them as she settled her Stetson on her head. She didn’t want any trouble, but had been taught that trouble could flare up in seconds completely out of the blue. With a nod to Wynonna, they walked up to the door just as it opened. “Bobo,” she greeted.

“If this is official business it’s Mr. Svane,” Bobo told her, gaze skipping past her to Wynonna. A smile curled his lips. “Wynonna Earp. I heard you were back in town. It’s been awhile.”

“Hey, Bobo. Heard you lost track of Willa.”

His smile slipped and he waved the comment off, sliver rings glinting in the fire light. “I know exactly where she is. She’ll be back any day.”

“From what I hear, she’s already been gone awhile.”

“She’s trying to prove a point,” he snapped. “She’ll get bored with those tree hugging hippies soon enough.”

“They promote a life away from modern vices,” Nicole stated.

“Whatever,” Bobo sniffed. “A cults a cult.”

“I don’t think—”

“What can I do for you two...” his gaze swept down then up their bodies, “...ladies this evening?” he interrupted Nicole.

“We’re looking for Father Malick and word around town is that he lives here,” she said, all business now.

“And?”

“I’d like to talk to him.”

Gaze drifting around the trailer park, Bobo gave some thought to her request. Sure, he wasn’t an ivy leaguer, but he wasn’t a moron either. “If you’re looking to pin that murder on him, you’re barking up the wrong tree, Red.”

“As this is official business, it’s Officer Haught.”

He smiled and waved a finger at her. “I always did like your fighting spirit. What the hell, if you want to go around chasing your own tail, Malick’s over in section four. Good luck.” It was said sarcastically.

“Why do I get the feeling we’re chasing a lost cause here?” Wynonna murmured as they walked away from a smirking Bobo.

“His creepy knowing smile,” Nicole replied unhappily. “Come on, let’s get this over with.”

It took them ten minutes of wandering around to find the right section, the laughter from those watching them ringing in their ears, and another couple of minutes before they located Father Malick’s trailer.

“What the hell is that smell?” Nicole asked, a hand to her nose.

“Skunk anus? A whole lot of it. All yours,” Wynonna indicated the trailer in front of them. “I’m just here to consult.”

“What happened to your enthusiasm for kicking in doors and bashing skulls?”

“I was told I’m not allowed. Unless you’re changing your mind?” She lifted a booted foot.

Rolling her eyes, Nicole knocked on the closed door.

“Come!”

Opening the door, Nicole instantly regretted doing so as a horrendous stench hit her nostrils, more potent than what was lingering outside. Apparently, Mr. Malick had something against personal hygiene. “Robert Malick?”

“Father Malick to you,” the rotund man replied, leering at her as she stepped inside and removed her hat.

“We’re here to talk to you about Megan Halshford.”

“Sounds like a whore!” he bellowed, spit flying as he did so. “Then again,” he sneered at Nicole, “you’re all whores!”

“I’m an officer of the law, Father Malick, and you will treat me with respect.” She reluctantly stepped closer to where he lay on a cot and held out a photograph of Megan. “Could you take a look and tell me if you knew her.”

He eyeballed the photo then sniffed deeply. “Struck down by the blade of immortal reckoning, was she?”

“How do you know that?” Wynonna questioned, barely inside and definitely not getting any closer. “We didn’t say anything about her being dead.” The photograph was one of Megan very much alive, smiling as if she didn’t have a care in the world.

“Whisper, whisper, whisper go the little mice. Why else would you come to me? We all know I have a record.”

“Did you kill her?” Nicole asked, the overwhelming stench and the heat inside the trailer making her feel nauseous.

“Me?” He started laughing loudly, a full belly laugh that was more disconcerting than his disdain. “I’m always here.”

“Well, maybe on this particular morning you took a walk over to her side of the tracks, struck her down with your blade of whatnot then scrawled a bloody message on the wall,” Wynonna suggested. “Bloody because it was in her blood,” she directed at Nicole in case she didn’t get it. “What happened, Malick? Did Megan come to you and confess her biggest secret, looking for forgiveness, and instead finding a vile, woman-hating man who decided to serve up a punishment of his own?”

“WRONG!” He threw back the blanket covering his lower half. “Ever since they took my legs, I don’t go anywhere!”

*** * * * ***

Seated at the bar in Shorty’s Saloon, Nicole stared into her glass of beer mournfully. “We’re literally back at square one,” she moaned. She was in a mood. Father Malick wasn’t their guy, Champ was hogging the pool table with his idiot friends being loud and annoying, and Waverly had clocked off and gone home for the day. Not that she had been hoping to see Waverly, not after the incident that morning.

“No we’re not, we’ve still got John Henry to look into, and that creepy morgue dude,” Wynonna replied, trying her best to cheer her friend up. “There’s something shifty about both of them.”

“I thought for sure Malick was our guy.”

“Why, ’cause Waverly suggested him?”

Brown eyes shifted to Wynonna. “It was a good shout. He was forever in town yelling at women, her logic made sense.”

“Yeah. She’s the smartest thing on two amazing legs.” Wynonna swigged at her beer. “Have you called her yet to ask if the rumour mill is true?”

“I texted to ask if she’s all right,” Nicole smiled softly. “She invited me over for ice cream and a chick flick, which is kind of an indicator that the rumour is true.”

Wynonna groaned, remembering back to her sister’s teenage years when she had started dating and learning that most men were jerks. “I can’t remember how many times she made us watch Dirty Dancing and ugly crying to… what was that song?”

“Time of My Life,” Nicole groaned in memory. “You were hardly ever around! If I never see that movie again, it’ll be too soon!”

“So, if the rumour’s true, why are you here with me?”

“She’s got Chrissy and Beth with her.”

“Ah, say no more. Girlie sleepover vibes,” Wynonna cringed at the thought.“My money’s on dear John.”

“What?”

“He wandered into town looking like a throwback to the old west, he drinks and gambles, fifty bucks says he came for a hook up with Megan, found out she was a little rich girl and tried to tap her up for some cash to get his gambling fix. She said no loser, get lost, and he killed her.”

“You have fifty bucks?” Nicole asked, knowing otherwise.

“Twenty. Twenty bucks.” Watching a russet eyebrow lift, Wynonna deflated a little. “Okay, I can probably manage five, but you wait until payday. I’ll be good for it then.” Spotting John Henry ambling in, she hit Nicole’s arm. “See, there he is. Back to catch another card game I bet.”

Glancing over at the doorway, Nicole noted Wynonna was right, the man did look like a throwback to days gone by. “Ah, hell, Wynonna, he looks like a groupie. Probably Wyatt’s biggest fan and just wanted to come to the town where he lived and drink where he drank. We used to see them all the time when we were growing up.” She frowned. “Whatever happened to the tour bus tour?”

“Or he’s a serial killer, in here every night in search of his next target,” Wynonna said, ignoring Nicole’s question.

“Officer Haught,” Nedley greeted as he stopped next to Nicole. “How did it go at the trailer park?”

“Turns out we were wrong about Malick. I was wrong. So, now it’s back to the drawing board.”

“Well, don’t be too hard on yourself. You’ve got good instincts, but they’re not always going to be right.” He smiled at Gus as she placed a fresh beer in front of him. “Thank you, Gus.”

“You’re welcome, Randy.” She eyed her niece. “Waverly told me she’s leaving Champ. Is that your doing?”

“Why would it be my doing?”

“You’ve been stirring up trouble ever since you got back, girlie.”

“Look, Gus, Waves is her own woman. She’s just now realising that she doesn’t have to do what everyone expects of her.” Wynonna glanced over at Champ. “And you and I both know she deserves better than that man-child.”

Looking over at the pool table, Gus watched Champ childishly tap his friend’s cue to mess up his shot. “She also told me you took the job.”

“Yep. Told you I was going to stick around.”

“We’ll see I suppose.” She turned and walked away, having other customers to see to.

“What do I have to do to get that woman to like me just a little?”

“You’re doing a great job, Wynonna,” Nicole complimented. “Waverly’s proud of you. And I’m proud of you.”

“You’re so not my type, naughty-haughty.”

“I’m everyone’s type.” Nicole finished her drink while Wynonna snorted out a laugh.

“Are you sure Malick’s not our guy?” Nedley asked.

“Positive.”

“His legs were amputated,” Wynonna spoke up, drawing a few curious glances. “Along with his concerns about personal hygiene.” She scrunched up her nose.

“Amputated?” Nedley slowly nodded. “Didn’t think I’d seen him in town for awhile, that would make sense.”

“He did mention something interesting though,” Nicole said as she pulled her notepad out of her shirt pocket and read over her notes. “She was struck down by the immortal blade of reckoning. It made me think that we might be dealing with someone religious.”

“Maybe hearing voices,” Wynonna added. “As in God made me do it, or Jesus or… whatever.”

“Maybe,” Nedley agreed. “So, not Malick. Got anyone else in mind?”

Nicole looked at Wynonna briefly before her gaze again settled on her boss. “Wynonna has made a couple of good suggestions actually. John Henry over there and the new morgue assistant.”

Nedley glanced across the bar to where Nicole was looking and spotted the stranger to town. “Any particular reason why you’ve picked them out?”

“No one seems to know much about John Henry, and the morgue guy is creepy,” Wynonna spoke up, like that was logic enough.

“Did you do a check on this John fella? See if he’s got any priors?”

Startled, Wynonna looked at Nicole. “I can do that?”

“For a case yes, for personal reasons no.”

“To be fair, I thought his name was bullshit,” Wynonna told Nedley. “He told me it’s John Henry Holliday.”

Nedley’s bushy eyebrows lifted in surprise. “Like the…?”

“Uh-huh.”

“Well,” Nedley glanced over at the man again, interested now. “It’s not entirely impossible, I suppose. I mean, you are an Earp. Come on, let’s go have a little chat with him, see what he’s got to say for himself.” He led the way over to where John Henry was sitting with a couple of other men, cards being dealt out. “Evening, boys.”

“Sheriff.”

“Don’t think I know you,” Nedley directed at John Henry. “And I like to try and know everyone in my town. Got a name?”

“I do, just like everyone else does.”

“Care to share what it is?”

“Not particularly. I suspect that the lovely lady on your left has already shared it with you, and you have come over to enquire if it is my true name. I assure you, Sheriff, it is.” He spoke softly and politely, a hint of a smile on his lips and a twinkle in his eye, especially when he locked eyes with Wynonna.

“Where you staying, John Henry?” Wynonna asked, having had enough of small talk.

“I’m not sure how that is any concern of yours, Miss Earp.”

“You’re new in town,” Nedley said. “So you probably haven’t heard that we’re investigating a murder.”

“I am not sure what that has to do with me, Sheriff.”

“You’re a stranger to us, son, and we need to follow every lead.”

“I am staying at a place young ladies should not venture.” Baby blue eyes flicked to Wynonna, then back to the sheriff. “A trailer park run by one Bobo Del Rey. I suspect that is not his real name and I am sad to say I do not know his true given name. But, he will tell you I have committed no murder.”

“Bobo’s your alibi?” Wynonna asked in disbelief.

“Him or any other gentleman I sat and played cards with long into the night. It is where I spend most of my evenings, though sometimes I am partial to a change of scenery and venture into town to reside temporarily in this here saloon.”

“We don’t mean any harm in asking,” Nedley smiled, all friendly.

“Oh, I understand, Sheriff. You have yourself someone dangerous on the loose and you want to catch ’em and lock up, and rightly so. Unfortunately, I am not the man. I will promise to keep my ears open for information if that would please you.”

“Your help would be welcome.” Nedley eyed each of the men. “Well, I’ll bid you all a goodnight.”

“Goodnight, Sheriff,” they replied politely.

Starting to retreat with Nedley, Nicole noticed Wynonna wasn’t following. “Wynonna, you coming?”

“As I’m a consultant, I finished at six, so see you tomorrow, Haught-stuff.” Smiling and wiggling her fingers, Wynonna sat down next to the mysterious John Henry, determined to get him talking.

*** * * * ***

A sleek black SUV turned into the car park of the Motor Inn Motel and pulled to a stop in front of the row of rooms. The building formed a U-shape much like a horseshoe, with rooms on the ground floor and rooms above. The engine ticked as the occupant inside the car sat staring out at the rundown property.

He wasn’t bothered by its shabby state, not really, he’d slept in worst places. What amazed him was that every small town had the same old dilapidated motel, a place you wouldn’t stop at unless you had no choice.

Climbing out of the vehicle, he shut the door and locked the car before straightening his suit, almost obsessed with not appearing wrinkled or dishevelled. Confident he looked acceptable, he walked towards the main office to purchase a room.

There was nobody at the front desk but he could hear the faint sound of a television set coming from the little room behind the desk. Looking around, he spotted an old bell that looked like it had been sitting there since the opening day and gave it a quick tap with his palm.

Nobody responded to the melodic ting.

So he hit it again and then again just because.

A large man wearing an open floral shirt with a stained white vest beneath yanked open the office door and scowled out at him. “What do you want?”

Smiling politely, the man looked around his surroundings. “This is a motel, isn’t it?”

“Yeah?”

“Then I’ll take a room if you have one available.”

“What if there ain’t one?” the motel manager sneered.

Just wanting to go to bed after a long drive, the suited man removed a wallet like object from his inside pocket and flashed it at the manager. “Make one available. Indefinitely.”

“Indefinitely?”

“I’m here on business. I’ll be here awhile.”

“Yeah, sure, okay. You got the money, I’ve got the room.”

“Something on the first floor, if you can,” the suited man requested, not wanting anyone to get the jump on him easily, which would be a possibility on the ground floor.

“I need to see your driver’s license and you need to pay a twenty-five dollar deposit, in case of damages.”

Again smiling politely, the man took out his wallet and handed over his license and the money requested, plus enough cash to cover a whole week. “That should cover it, right?”

Greedy little eyes on the money, the manager nodded. “Yeah, just about.” He snatched the wad of bills. “If you could sign the book, I’ll just get you your room key, Mr. Dolls.”

Picking up a slimy pen and quickly scrawling his name, Dolls looked straight at the man, deadly serious. “That’s Agent Dolls, and I’d appreciate your discretion.”


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My debut novel The Place I Call Home is now available to purchase on the Regal Crest Enterprises website, Bella Books website, Amazon and Nook. Christmas is coming and a book makes a good stocking filler, so do socks, agreed, but a book is better. Just my biased opinion 😁

**W** averly made her way along the bar dusting and polishing as she tried to get everything ready for opening for the lunch rush, while her soon-to-be-ex husband whined at her. Champ was seated at the bar doing nothing, as per usual, and while he whined and pouted, she happily reminded herself she could now revert back to her given name of Earp. One advantage to working in a town full of gossips was that news travelled fast. All she had to do was tell a few choice people this afternoon and by the evening almost everyone would know she had left Champ Hardy.

“I won $2,000!”

“It’s not about the money, Champ. Not any more.”

“You spent all that time nagging at me and now I’ve started winning, you’ve decided to leave me?”

“How much of your winnings have you actually brought home?”

He pouted. “We don’t have to pay rent any more, not now we’ve moved to the homestead.”

She turned and smiled at him. “That’s another thing, you have to move out.”

“What? Babe, you’re not serious?”

“I am serious. I am very serious and very sure.” Waverly nodded just to drill home her point. “We’re done.”

“But… I love you.”

“But not enough.”

“I do! I love you and I love Aurora and...”

“How many times have you cheated on me over the years?” She didn’t really want an answer, no one wanted confirmation they had been cheated on, she just wanted to see if his face gave away the truth.

“I… you… babe, I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“You’ve hit on Chrissy, and Beth Gardner. And not long after Mercedes got back to town, you hit on her.”

“To be fair, Mercedes has come back looking hotter than ever.”

She rolled her eyes at him. “Do you know what I think? I think every time you go away, you hook up with someone. I think you go out drinking and throw money around to impress whoever you’re with and that’s why you come home with barely anything left. But, it’s okay.” She patted his hand. “You’re free now to chase whatever tail you want.”

“I want you, you’re my wife!” Champ stood up and swaggered around the bar to wrap his arms around her waist. He’d been told enough times that he looked good, so was confident Waverly wouldn’t take much persuading to see things his way. “How about we go upstairs and shut your brain off,” he suggested, thrusting his hips against her denim-covered rear. “You’ve been thinking far too much, it’s made you have these crazy ideas of divorce.”

“I don’t want to shut my brain off, Champ,” Waverly growled, trying to squirm out of his hold. “I’m trying to have a serious conversation with you.”

“We’re high school sweethearts, we were prom king and queen, we’re meant to be together, Waverly. Everyone says so.”

“I want more than a fading prom king!”

Huffing in annoyance, he released her and stepped back. “Is this because of whats-her-face? What, she just… swoops in and steals my girl?”

“Champ,” Waverly sighed. She didn’t want to get into an argument with him, she especially didn’t want to bring up Nicole because that would only make things worse, but maybe he needed to hear the truth. Dropping her cleaning rag, she turned to face him. “Let’s sit down.” Taking his hand, she led him out from behind the bar and over to a table. Taking a seat opposite him, she took a deep steadying breath and then began. “I’m going to tell you a few hard truths. You might not want to hear it, but I owe you the truth.”

“Are you breaking up with me?”

“I already broke up with you, Champ.” She puffed out a breath. “Back when we were in high school, before you and I got together, I… I was seeing Nicole.”

All bravado faded from Champ as his shoulders dropped. “You dated other guys before me.”

“I did,” she agreed. “It was for show, so people wouldn’t keep asking me why I wasn’t seeing anyone. I dated every now and then and Nicole dated um…” She waved a dismissive hand. “Whatever his name was.”

The colour drained from Champ’s face as he realised that the rumours he had listened to growing up had been true after all.

“Nicole has been a part of my life nearly all of my life and I can’t remember a time when I didn’t love her. But I got scared. The summer before she left town, she wanted to come out, she wanted us to come out, and I wasn’t ready. We broke up. Actually, I wouldn’t say broke up, not officially, I just… I threw everything we shared back in her face and then avoided her for the last couple of weeks of summer until she left.”

“That’s why you agreed to go out with me?” Champ asked. “Because you were trying to show her you weren’t… like that?”

“I honestly didn’t know what I wanted. I just knew I wasn’t ready to come out and be different.” She smiled at him and reached across the table for his hand. “And when you asked me out, the good ol’ cowboy who everyone liked, who had big plans to leave town and see the world, I thought why not. I knew you. I’ve known you almost as long as I’ve known Nicole. You were safe and normal, but...” Her smile faded. “I quickly realised I didn’t love you the way I loved Nicole. I wasn’t over her and….”

“You stayed with me,” he interrupted. “We dated that entire year of high school, Waverly. That means something.”

“Like I said, you were the safe option. I was going to break up with you, but everyone always mentioned what a great couple we make, so knowing it would cause a stir, I put it off and stayed with you. Then I fell pregnant and...” She puffed out her cheeks. Jesus, what a mess. “Everyone suggested we get married, so we did, but it wasn’t what either of us wanted.” The bar fell silent as she finished saying her piece. She watched him as he took it all in, knowing he was a little slow in getting things and needed time to process.

Eventually Champ shook his head, perfectly gelled haired barely moving, and grinned at her. “You love me. I know you do because you married me. And we’re making it work.”

“I’m not happy, Champ, and neither are you. Not really. What you really want is to be free, to be the rodeo hero who gets a different girl in every town, who gets to spend his money on beer and new truck parts and God knows what else. Whereas I’m the sensible one, the one who has to plan everything and who counts the pennies and plays house whilst holding down a steady job.”

Champ started shaking his head, in full blown denial. “We just need a break. Moving back to the homestead was a big deal for you after all these years, it’s stressed you out. Curtis and Shorty were murdered, Aurora’s on the brink of starting school and Wynonna’s come home and whats-her-face has come home. It’s all too much for you.”

“Nicole,” Waverly said as calmly as she could manage. “Her name is Nicole. And you know this because you were forever at odds with her in high school.”

He stood up, done with this conversation. “Look, I’ll move back into town for a couple of weeks, give you some space, some time. But you don’t want a divorce, babe. We were just talking about having another baby.” He smiled at her. “We’ll sort this all out, Waverly, don’t worry.”

“Champ, there’s nothing to—” Hazel eyes watched him walk out of Shorty’s. Letting out a frustrated groan, she ran her hand through her long loose locks, getting the sinking feeling Champ wasn’t going to make this easy at all. Taking her phone out, she called her best friend. “Chrissy, hey. Are you busy?”

*** * * * ***

“You’ve been out here for twenty minutes,” Nicole said to Wynonna as she walked into the small kitchenette area.

“It’s not my fault. The coffee machine’s not working.”

“It’s probably out of water.”

Picking up the pot, the brunette scowled at it. “Stupid technology.”

“Wynonna Earp?”

“If my parole officer’s asking, then no.” Turning around, Wynonna blinked at the suited and booted man, not recognising him but liking what she was seeing.

“I’m Agent Dolls. I understand you’re a consultant for the Purgatory police department.”

“That’s right.” She smiled brightly even with her heart hammering, as she wondered why he was here and so interested in her. She had been no angel while growing up. “Best consultant around, so if you’re trying to muscle in, not gonna happen.”

His lips twitched into something that might have been a smile. “I’m here to help catch a serial killer.”

Looking at Nicole and seeing the confusion on her face, Wynonna went into denial mode. “I think you’re lost, my man. I mean, I like to murder a bowl of cornflakes every now and then but who doesn’t? Am I right?”

This time he did smile politely. He had heard all sorts about Wynonna Earp in his short time in Purgatory from people in town willing to talk to him. Wisecracking was one of the more polite traits mentioned about her. “I’m sorry, I’m sure you get this all the time, but Earp as in…?”

“Good ol’ Wyatt. Yep,” Wynonna nodded. “He was my great-great-grandfather. The greatest gunslinger that ever lived.”

“You a good shot too?”

“I don’t do guns.” She looked straight into his eyes. “Couldn’t hit a law man at zero paces. Fortunately,” she smirked at him.

Not phased in the slightest, Dolls smiled and took out his notepad. “Your uncle was the first victim here, wasn’t he?”

“We don’t know that,” Nicole spoke up.

Brown eyes flicked to her. “Officer…?”

“Haught.” she told him. “We don’t think Curtis’s murder is connected to that of...” She trailed off.

“He was decapitated, wasn’t he?”

“Yes, but—”

“There was no message written in blood, so you assume it’s unrelated.”

Not keen to enlighten him in any way, Nicole frowned at him instead. “What did you mean by first victim here?”

“I’m sorry, I’m uh...” Wynonna started, frowning as she watched the agent and Nicole to-and-froing.

“Drunk?” Dolls suggested.

“Lost,” she corrected him.

“Wynonna doesn’t drink on the job,” Nicole came to her friend’s defence.

“Not any more,” Wynonna muttered softly. “Can I see your badge?” She was suspicious of him and not just because he was law enforcement.

He pulled his badge from his jacket pocket and flipped it open to show her. “You’ve seen a lot of them given your criminal record. Tell me, how does a woman like you end up working for the police?”

“I have a juvenile record, arsehole, which was supposed to be sealed when I turned eighteen.”

“She’s turned her life around,” Nicole put in, not liking this guy one bit.

“You don’t know me, Barbie.” Wynonna turned and smiled at Nicole to see if she got the joke. “You know, ’cause he’s...”

“Dolls, yeah I got it, Wy.”

“The people in town do,” Dolls replied to Wynonna’s statement. “To many of them, you’re mental, a bad seed.”

“You forgot scary good in bed,” she smirked at him. “If you want a date while you’re in town….”

“I don’t.”

“Ouch.” She pouted at Nicole. “That’s twice this week I’ve been turned down by out-of-towners. Should I be offended? I feel offended.”

“As fascinating as all this has been, we’ve got work to be getting on with.” Pouring two mugs of coffee, Nicole picked them up. “Come on, Wynonna. Let’s get back to it.”

“I’m actually looking for Sheriff Nedley,” Dolls called out to their retreating backs. “Do you know where I can find him?”

“Try Shorty’s,” Nicole called back without stopping.

“Why are the FBI here?” Wynonna asked, sneaking a glance back at the dark-skinned man. “I thought Nedley was keeping things to himself.”

“Knowing the FBI, they’ve stuck their noses in and there’s going to be nothing Nedley can do about it. We have to finish getting through this last bit of morgue footage before the agent decides to confiscate it.”

“He can do that?”

“He looks like the type to pull rank. But until then, this case is mine.”

*** * * * ***

“He doesn’t want to believe me,” Waverly complained. “Like no matter which way I put it, he still thinks I just need some space and then everything will be fine again.”

“Which it wasn’t anyway,” Chrissy put in.

“Exactly! But he seems to think that because I stayed with him and married him and lived this life with him that I’m lying about wanting to break-up. Maybe not lying, but stressed. Those are his words. I’m stressed from everything going on in my life.”

“Champ always was a little slow. At least he’s going to move out of the homestead. Even if he does think that it’s just to give you some space to de-stress.”

“Nicole was right, I don’t think Champ’s going to make this easy at all.”

Chrissy smiled sympathetically. “I think she’s right about you two not jumping into anything before the time’s right. Make sure Champ understands things are well and truly over before you do anything about your situation with Nicole.”

“Why is it he thinks it’s okay that he can cheat on me, but the second I mention separating it’s because I’m stressed and overwhelmed?”

“Male logic,” Chrissy shrugged, not having a clue.

“I even explained it all for him. I love Nicole, she’s my first love, my true love. Ugh, this is such a mess!” Waverly groaned. “I wish I had a time machine and could go back to when this all started.”

“But you don’t, so you’re going to have to handle it like the sensible adult I know you to be,” Chrissy smiled.

“I’m so sorry, Chris,” Waverly said as she reached across the bar to cover her friend’s hand. “For dumping this all on you.”

“Forget it, what are friends for?”

“For planning an awesome engagement party for someone I can barely stand any more,” Waverly smiled for the first time that afternoon.

“Engagement party slash divorce party,” Chrissy smiled. “I have a few ideas. I’m thinking strippers.”

“Sheriff Nedley?” Dolls stopped next to the sheriff and waited patiently to be acknowledged. “I’m here to help with your little problem.”

Putting down his spoon, Nedley turned to scowl at the man who had disturbed his lunch, which in truth he hadn’t been enjoying, but wouldn’t dare confess. He had been looking forward to a burger with melted cheese and definitely bacon, but with Chrissy being there to see Waverly he had dutifully ordered the lighter and less calorie-filled chicken broth.

The man was an out-of-towner wearing a tailored suit and shiny black shoes. Fed, Nedley thought instantly, and his mood got worse. “What problem would that be?”

“Your serial killer problem.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, son. And I don’t appreciate you saying it so loudly in the middle of the town saloon.”

The man sat down next to Nedley without being offered a seat. “It’s quaint. And apparently Wyatt Earp himself drank here.”

“So says the sign,” Nedley muttered.

Done with pleasantries, Dolls took out a notepad from inside his suit jacket. “It’s believed he’s killed two people already in your town. A...” He flipped to the page he wanted. “Curtis McCready and a Megan Halshford.”

Taken by surprise at the man’s knowledge of the case, Nedley’s scowl deepened. “I haven’t requested outside help, Mr…?”

The hint for a name was ignored. “You don’t have to request our help. We keep an eye out for, shall we say, interesting cases.”

“Which agency did you say you were from?” Nedley questioned.

“I didn’t. Sheriff, I believe your serial killer has been murdering people all across the country. He likes to decapitate women he believes are sinners, and he likes to leave messages usually written in the victim’s blood. Do you have anything fresh to add to what I already know?”

Pissed off that some agency goon had ambled into his town with the idea he could take over and dictate their case, Nedley puffed out his chest as he sat up straight. “Now, you listen here—”

“It’s not my intention to step on anyone’s toes, Sheriff. I’ll be happy to work with whoever you have on the case.”

“I have two of my best on it.”

“I don’t doubt it,” the agent said politely, his eyes giving away the fact he didn’t put much stock in Nedley’s people. “But, I have jurisdiction and I work best alone.”

“So, when you say you’re happy to work with us, what you mean is you’re happy to steal our work, our ideas, and take credit for it all?”

“You haven’t given me anything I don’t already know. I have been tracking this guy for a very long time.”

“And yet you haven’t caught him.” Nedley decided he was due a little dig at this city hotshot. He smiled as he picked up his spoon, knowing the agent wouldn’t get very far with the people of Purgatory. Sure, they liked to gossip, but they liked outsiders about as much as they liked vegetarian food. “Well, welcome to the bustling metropolis of Purgatory, where nothing lives but cattle and cowboys, and the occasional rodeo queen.”

“Dolls. Agent Dolls. And you can try and make me feel as unwelcome as you like, but I will be here for as long as it takes.”

Waverly cautiously approached. She and Chrissy had seen the stranger walk in and approach the sheriff, then watched on as the two men had what looked like a serious conversation, Nedley looking less and less happy the longer they spoke. Now, they seemed to be done and ever the good barmaid, Waverly had approached to find out if she could get the man anything. “Everything all right over here, Sheriff?”

“Lunch is perfect as always, Waverly. Thank you,” Nedley smiled. He picked up his glass. “Could I get a refill?”

“Of course,” she smiled. “Anything for… your friend?”

Smiling, Dolls, offered her a hand, noting she flinched as he did so. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” she smiled, not at all convincingly. “I’m uh… just a bit jumpy. It’s been a crazy few weeks around here and we don’t get many strangers in town.”

“Dolls,” he introduced himself. “Agent Dolls. And you are Waverly Earp.” He smiled at her as she blinked in surprise at him knowing her name.

“Hardy. Waverly Hardy.” Hazel eyes flicked to Nedley as she wondered if the agent was there to arrest Wynonna. If he was, she wouldn’t help him in any way, shape or form.

“You’re quite a popular girl around here.”

Gaze settling back on Dolls, Waverly smiled nervously. “Oh, you know, it’s all in the smile and wave.” And because she was feeling nervous and unsettled by him, she stood there and actually waved.

“Yeah.” He wasn’t as impressed as her regulars were. Or if he was, he didn’t show it. “Can I get a cup of coffee?”

“Sure.” Glad to have an excuse to flee, Waverly spun on her heel and took off for the fancy coffee machine Gus had recently had installed.

“She comes from an interesting family. If she is related to who I think she’s related to.”

“Waverly Hardy is of no concern to you, Agent Dolls,” Nedley said protectively. “You’re here to find yourself a serial killer. Let me narrow down your list for you, it’s not Waverly.”

“Understood,” Dolls smiled, not intimidated in the slightest but respecting the man’s protectiveness. “I’ll leave you to your lunch. I just wanted to let you know I’m in town and why I’m in town, and that I’ll be taking over an office at the station. I’d appreciate it if the room had a lock on the door so I’m not disturbed.”

“I’ll find you some space once I get back. Until then, Agent Dolls, I’d appreciate it if you didn’t upset good people!”

Waverly returned with a cup of coffee and set in down in front of Dolls. “Anything else, Agent?”

“No, thank you.” Placing a crisp bill on the bar top, Dolls stood and picked up his cup. “Can I sit anywhere or is there an order to things?”

“Anywhere is fine.” She watched him retreat across the room then turned her attention to Nedley. “Is he here to arrest Wynonna?”

“No. He’s here to try and muscle in on their case.” He smiled in a fatherly way at her. “Don’t you worry about Wynonna. I won’t let anything happen to her.”

*** * * * ***

Seated at her desk, Nicole watched through the open door as Agent Dolls moved boxes into the offices next door. “You’re just going to let him move in?” she directed at Nedley who stood nearby also watching the proceedings.

“No choice. You know what the Feds are like. Just be grateful they’re letting us stay. Have you finished with the morgue footage?”

“Yeah, nothing suspicious cropped up. Just morgue assistants coming and going and bodies being wheeled in and out. Can’t tell if any of the bodies wheeled out were Megan because they’re zipped up.”

“Which leads us back to my theory of it being the creepy morgue guy as our doer,” Wynonna spoke up.

“There’s no evidence, Wy.”

“Video evidence of only morgue workers coming and going. I rest my case.” She spun around in her swivel chair in victory.

“You have sugar on your nose, genius.”

Thinking Nicole was teasing her, Wynonna looked to Nedley for confirmation and frowned when he subtly nodded.

“Wynonna has a point,” Nedley said. “Who else has better access? Have you looked into the morgue personnel?”

“Only those who were working over the weekend,” Nicole told him. “I didn’t see the need to background check all of them.”

“Might want to widen your net.” Turning around, he headed back into his office and shut the door.

“This is why you need me around,” Wynonna said cheerfully, nose now clean of powdered sugar. “Pancakes to celebrate?”

“Celebrate you having an idea? I know it’s a rare event, but—”

The chair stopped spinning suddenly. “I have ideas,” Wynonna said, glaring at her smirking friend. “I have plenty of ideas. And who needs a reason to stop and get pancakes? It’s a food to be eaten at anytime of day.”

Before Nicole could respond, the radio on the front desk crackled to life. “ _We have a report from Mrs. Grandeur. Her dog has gone missing and she’s claiming it’s been dognapped._ ”

Nicole rolled her eyes. “It’s probably slipped under her fence again and gone walkabout.”

“You’re on duty, Officer Haught,” Nedley said from his doorway. “And cases like that are usually our bread and butter.”

“Can’t you give the case to Lonnie, Sir?” There was disappointment in her tone. She didn’t want to be taken off the murder case.

“He’s working the night shift tonight. This one’s all yours.”

“I’m beginning to think that the poor thing is trying to run away from home,” Nicole grumbled as she got to her feet. “Every week since I’ve been back in Purgatory we’ve had a call from Mrs. Grandeur.”

Nedley smiled. “I suspect she enjoys the company as much as anything. Don’t worry, your case will still be here when you get back.”

*** * * * ***

After forty-five minutes inside Mrs. Grandeur’s house drinking tea from real China cups and listening to stories about her beloved pug, plus all the town gossip, and passing around photos of the woman’s family, Nicole stood in the woman’s back garden looking at the spot where the dog had apparently gotten out.

“I’m not being funny but I think she dug that hole,” Wynonna said none to quietly.

“Shh.” Nicole glanced over her shoulder to make sure the woman wasn’t hovering. She had to agree with Wynonna, the hole didn’t look like it had been clawed by an animal at all. “Oh, well, we better go and search for the poor thing.”

“Is there a reward?”

“I’m an officer of the law, Wynonna. I don’t work for monetary rewards.”

“You don’t but I do and if I find this damn dog, I want something for my trouble.”

Leaving the back garden via the gate, Nicole headed down the alleyway, looking for signs of the pampered pug. The last time she had responded to this call out, the dog had gotten as far as the next street over where it was riling up a poodle.

“Have you spoken to Waverly?” Wynonna asked, half-heartedly kicking bins to see if a dog yelped.

“No, why? Is she all right?”

“Of course she’s all right. She’s finally given the man-child the old heave-ho. You should be there offering her a comforting shoulder to cry on.”

“I thought he didn’t believe her?” Waverly had told Wynonna what was going on in her life and Wynonna had dutifully passed all information on to Nicole.

“He will, as soon as my boot hits his arse.”

“No bodily harm, Wynonna,” Nicole warned. “I don’t want to have to arrest you.” Her radio crackled to life before the conversation could go any further.

“ _Officer Haught, what’s your twenty?_ ”

“Still searching for Mrs. Grandeur’s dog. Why, what do you need, dispatch?”

“ _Sheriff Nedley wants you to meet him on the outskirts of town. A body has been found._ ”

“We’re on our way.”

“What about the dog?” Wynonna asked as they hustled back towards the parked patrol car.

“It’ll either go home when it’s hungry or end up at the pound.” Nicole grabbed her radio, hating to leave a case but having bigger fish to fry. “Dispatch, please note that Mrs. Grandeur’s dog is still at large.”

“ _Noted, Deputy. I’ll put the word out for people to keep an eye out for it._ ”

“So, she’s really done it then?” Nicole asked Wynonna as she put the radio back down. “She really has told him she wants to separate?”

“She really has.” Reaching out to place her hand on Nicole’s arm, Wynonna fake sobbed. “Our little girl is growing up.”

“You’re ridiculous.”

“You adore me.”

“You’re still ridiculous.”

Half an hour later, they reached the outskirts of Purgatory where there was nothing around for miles and the only thing to be seen was the Welcome to Purgatory sign. Nicole frowned as she pulled to a stop, seeing Sheriff Nedley and Agent Dolls standing together in front of the welcome sign, a complete contrast of each other.

“Not taking over my arse!” she muttered unhappily.

“I never realised how territorial you are,” Wynonna commented in amusement.

Climbing out of the car, Nicole walked over as she settled her hat on her head. “What have we got, Sheriff?”

Turning to look at her, Nedley puffed out his cheeks. “Megan Halshford’s body.” He shifted slightly so she could see the propped up body leaning against the sign post, hands clasped as though praying, a newspaper article pinned to her chest. “That’s Saturday’s paper,” he informed her. “I think our boy took offence to her getting a funeral service at the church.”

The article had detailed a little information about Megan, her life and things she was involved in, it noted that she would be missed by her grieving family, and lastly listed where the service would be and at what time. That information had been circled in red, maybe pen, probably blood.

“What’s in her hands?” Nicole asked, spotting what looked like a scrap of white paper sitting in the clasped hands.

“We were waiting for you until finding out,” Nedley told her, scowling at Dolls who had wanted to jump right in. “Seeing how it’s your case and all.”

Ignoring the comment, Dolls snapped on a pair of gloves and crouched in front of the body to carefully pry free the paper. Opening it up delicately, he scanned the script, his expression not changing.

“Well, don’t keep us in suspense,” Wynonna spoke up, not one for patiently waiting. “Is it the key to making good sausages or what?”

“Sinners do not get to rest in God’s sacred earth,” Dolls read aloud. “Seems he took offence to her being buried at the churchyard. Did you ever find out what her sin was?”

“We were looking into it,” Nicole replied, not wanting to give anything away.

“I’ve called the morgue,” Nedley said. “They’re sending someone to come and pick up the body. In the meantime, we should do a thorough search of this area.”

“There’s nothing to find,” Dolls said confidently. “He’s too careful to leave anything incriminating behind.”

“Doesn’t hurt to look anyway,” Nedley told him. “Don’t know how you Feds do things, but here we do our jobs. That includes searching body dump sites.”

“Point to Nedley,” Wynonna cheered. “Though, if he decides to swing for you, I fear for you, Nedders.”

“Let’s get to it,” Nedley said. “We’ve got a lot of land to cover.”


	14. Chapter 14

“ **S** o, Waves, what’s the gossip on the new hot guy in town?” Wynonna asked as she took the mug her sister offered her.

“You think he’s hot?” Nicole asked in amusement.

“I think he has muscles for days and that I haven’t been laid in too damn long.” She sipped at her coffee, instantly wishing she hadn’t. “Ugh!” She scowled at her mug. “Question, why does my coffee taste like it was brewed in Nicole’s hat?”

“Hey!” Nicole protested.

Waverly smiled, as ever, cheerful even when being moaned at. “It’s soothing sunshine herbal tea. Caffeine free.”

“It sounds like hippie haemorrhoid cream and I don’t want it in my cup. Haught,” she pointed at Nicole’s cup, “don’t drink that. Trust me, you’ll thank me.”

“You were practically bouncing off the walls yesterday because you drank so much caffeine,” Waverly said defensively. “I thought we should be open to new experiences. And it was on offer.”

“Can’t imagine why!” Wynonna handed the cup back to her sister, knowing she probably loved the stuff. “I drank so much caffeine because Nedley had us out searching open land nearly all day and early evening for God knows what.”

“Evidence, Wynonna,” Nicole replied calmly. “We were looking for evidence that could lead us to our killer.”

“Did something happen?” Waverly asked nervously, not wanting to hear someone else had been killed.

“Megan’s body turned up,” Wynonna told her. “And by turned up, I mean got body dumped out by the Welcome to Purgatory sign.” She walked over to the high-tech coffee machine Gus had installed at the bar. “Good luck selling that herbal crap. Shorty’s patrons are only just getting to grips with mocktails. Haught-stuff, wanna proper brew?”

Brown eyes flicked to Waverly, seeing disappointment shining in hazel eyes. “No, I’m good with the tea.”

“Suck up.” Frowning at the coffee machine, Wynonna tried to work out how to get herself a simple cup of coffee.

“Leave Nicole alone, Wynonna,” Waverly reprimanded.

“Ugh, I forgot how gross you two are when you’re all friendly friendly happy happy. Drove me nuts when we were kids.” She poked at a couple of buttons on the coffee machine. “Waverly!”

Rolling her eyes, Waverly moved to help. “Back to the topic of Agent Dolls. He isn’t really your type, Wynonna. He’s FBI for a start and you’re… a wanted criminal.”

“I’m not asking for a ring and a white picket fence. I’m simply asking for crazy hot, toe-curling, outta body, back into body, mind blowing sex.”

“You do realise he’s in town to steal our case, right?” Nicole asked, sounding as bitter as she felt.

“He’s been in town three days and the case is still ours.”

“That’s because most of the locals won’t talk to him and he wants us to do most of the legwork. You wait, the second he has the lay of the land, poof, there goes our case.”

“I think you’re overreacting,” Wynonna dismissed.

“Nicole’s a good a cop. She has a right to be pissed off that someone can waltz into town and push her off her own case.”

“She’s overreacting, Waverly. Agent Dolls hasn’t done anything other than be a pain in the butt.”

“Ah-ha!” Nicole exclaimed loudly, too loudly. “So, you admit it, he’s being typical FBI.”

“I can’t lie, he has so far come across as an arsehole,” Wynonna conceded. “Taking over an entire section of the police station is a little excessive.”

“He did what?” Waverly asked in surprise, looking from her sister to Nicole.

“Oh, yeah,” Wynonna nodded. “He forced Nedley to give him space or else he said he was going to throw us all out.”

“He could do that?”

“FBI!” Nicole huffed and rolled her eyes.

“How is the case coming along?” Waverly asked curiously, as she handed Wynonna her simple coffee.

Wynonna groaned. “You’re the brains of this family, baby girl. What part of being a consultant says I have to endure days of sitting in a small cramped room watching fuzzy video footage of bodies coming and going from the morgue, morgue attendants playing chair skittles in a hallway and creepy serial killer guy skulking around?”

“You can’t label him creepy serial killer guy,” Nicole sighed.

“My gut tells me he’s our man. Arrest him and I’ll make him crack once we get him in the sweat box. Good cop, bad cop. Classic.” She looked at Waverly. “Then, I had to search for a missing dog, and, like I said, I spent a whole day searching a field for nothing.” She flicked Nicole’s ear. “Nothing!”

“Hey! Ow, Wynonna.” Nicole swatted at the brunette’s hands.

“Are you heading out to question this morgue guy?” Waverly asked, ignoring their antics.

“No,” Nicole shook her head. “We’ve got to take back the evidence we removed now that we’re done with it.”

“It’s not really evidence, is it?” Wynonna taunted. “Seeing how we found nothing.”

“ _Officer Haught, what’s your twenty?_ ”

“Grabbing a coffee.”

“ _Agent Dolls has requested you get to the station pronto, Deputy._ ”

“Agent Dolls isn’t my boss,” Nicole muttered off radio. She depressed the button. “What does the Sheriff say, dispatch?”

Sheriff Nedley came on the radio. “ _Pronto, Deputy_.” From his tone, Nicole realised he probably had Agent Dolls breathing uncomfortably down his neck.

“We’ll be there soon, Sheriff.” Gulping down the last of her tea, Nicole got to her feet and picked up her Stetson. “Drink that and we’ll go,” she directed at Wynonna.

“But it’s hot,” the brunette pouted.

“Then leave it.”

The redhead was already heading for the door, so Wynonna stubbornly tried to drink her coffee and instantly regretted it as she burnt herself. Putting the mug on the bar top, she scowled at her sister. “Travel mugs, Waves. Something to think about.”

*** * * * ***

Agent Dolls stood in front of a white board, black marker in hand, while Nicole, Wynonna and Nedley were seated at the central table listening to his long winded presentation on his case. Over the last hour and a half he had filled them in on all known and suspected victims, what the FBI profiler thought of their murderer, and what his motivations might be.

He had taped up four photos and written names above them, personal details listed beneath. “Our killer has been working his way here to Purgatory. His first victim on route was Kiersten,” he pointed to the photo. “Lacerations and bite marks on the body we think came from wildlife. Shortly before she was killed she consumed a chestnut latte. We traced her footsteps back to the coffee shop where she brought it, but found no evidence to suggest our suspect stalked her first.”

“Wrong place, wrong time?” Nicole questioned.

“Maybe. She was found in woodland just outside of Purgatory. Well, most of her.”

“Most of her?” Wynonna asked.

“Her head is still missing,” Dolls informed her. “Joyce Arbour,” he pointed to the photo. “Twenty-two. Multiple lacerations and decapitated.”

“She kind of looks like you, Wynonna,” Nicole murmured for her friend’s ears only.

“You’re off your game, Haught-to-trot. That’s the worst pick-up line I’ve ever heard.”

“Are you sure the lacerations aren’t something the killer’s doing?” Nicole asked Dolls. “Two victims, both with lacerations.”

“Both victims were found in woodland,” Dolls said simply, dismissively. “Animals live in woodland.”

“They’re all women,” Wynonna pointed out about the known victims.

“Which supports my belief that Curtis’s murder isn’t connected,” Nicole said.

“You can’t assume that,” Dolls said.

“Our serial killer likes to decapitate and likes to leave a religious message written in the victim’s blood,” Nicole argued back. “Sure, Curtis was decapitated, but there was no message. With every woman he’s killed he’s left a message.”

“Assume if you want, Deputy. But the FBI looks at every angle.”

“Even when there is no angle?” she challenged.

“Um, Sheriff,” Lonnie nervously hovered in the open doorway. He had already been yelled at once by Agent Dolls and wasn’t keen to be yelled at again, but this was important.

“What is it, Lonnie?”

“I just took a call from Shorty’s. Someone’s been killed.”

Jumping to her feet, Wynonna grabbed Lonnie by the shirt front. “Waverly?” she asked, eyes wide with fear. “It’s not Waverly, right?”

Dread in her heart, Nicole got to her feet. “Wynonna.” She had nothing to follow up with, the thought that Champ might have done something flitting through her head. “Do we know who the victim is?” she asked Lonnie, eyes locked on his.

“A...a Jay Novak,” Lonnie choked out. “Body was found in the gents toilets.”

“Get over there, Deputy,” Nedley spoke up. “See if it is murder or if he just slipped and cracked his head open.” Seeing the questioning look on Dolls’s face, he shrugged. “Wouldn’t be the first.”

“I should go with them,” Dolls said as he stood up straight.

“This might have nothing to do with why you’re here in town,” Nedley shut him down. “It might be a town case.”

“If it is connected, I don’t want them to miss any evidence.”

“My people are more than capable of working a scene, Agent.”

Not happy about leaving small town police officers to work a potential murder scene that could tie in with his case, Dolls looked sternly at Nicole. “Take photos from every angle, collect everything in the room even if it doesn’t seem relevant, and try not to contaminate the scene too much,” he ordered.

“Before your arrival, Officer Haught helped me work two crime scenes,” Nedley defended his deputy. “She is more than capable...”

“So you keep saying,” Dolls interrupted, gaze flicking to Nedley.

Proud that the sheriff had such faith in her, Nicole stood a little taller, determined not to let him down. She nodded once at him, then spun on her heel to head out of the station, Wynonna close behind.

“Jay Novak,” Wynonna breathed. “Now there’s a name I never wanted to hear again.”

“You know him?” Nicole questioned, not recognising the name herself.

“My old probation officer.” She stepped out of the station. “Still think none of this ties in with me?”

*** * * * ***

Walking into Shorty’s, Wynonna immediately headed for Waverly, who was behind the bar serving Pete York, wanting to check for herself that her sister was okay. “You okay, baby girl?”

“Yeah.” She didn’t look okay, she looked shaken up. “A customer found him.” Hazel eyes settled on Nicole. “I didn’t notice anything out of the ordinary. There were no raised voices—”

“Not sure you would have heard them over the jukebox,” Wynonna said.

“If someone’s having an argument everyone hears it, Wynonna, you know that.”

“I need you to keep everyone here,” Nicole said. “I’ve got to question them before they can leave.”

“I’m still serving drinks and food. Should keep them happy.”

“Have you called Gus to let her know what’s going on?” Wynonna asked.

“No. She’s at home looking after Aurora. Do you think I should? I don’t want her rushing over.”

“Better let her know. You know someone’s likely to phone her and get her in a panic. Tell her everything’s under control.”

Standing at the top of the steps in front of the doors, Nicole cleared her throat and looked around at the scattered occupants. “Can I have everyone’s attention?” She waited until all heads had turned her way. “There’s been an incident and I’m going to need your cooperation. I need you all to remain here until I get a chance to question you. Mrs. Hardy has...”

“Earp,” Waverly piped up, blushing as all eyes turned her way.

Smiling at her, Nicole nodded. “Miss Earp has agreed to keep the bar open and is happy to serve you. Thank you for your patience.” Puffing out a nervous breath, she made her way towards the back where the toilets were and walked in, taking in the scene in one quick glance.

Jay Novak was lying in front of the sinks in a puddle of his own blood. He was dressed professionally which made her think he had stopped in on his lunch hour.

“He’s still got his head,” Wynonna pointed out as she stepped inside.

“Shut the door behind you, Wy,” Nicole told her without looking over. She took a slower look around, noting that there didn’t seem to be signs of a struggle.

“The word sinner is on the mirror,” Wynonna mentioned. “Shoots down your theory our killer doesn’t kill men.”

“The kill itself is different. His throats been cut,” Nicole remarked.

“Maybe our guy got spooked and fled before he could remove the head.”

Nicole frowned as she looked around. “Why here? It’s a public toilet in a busy bar, anyone could have walked in. And why does it look like Mr. Novak didn’t put up a fight? If he was standing here at the sinks, he’s got the mirrors in front of him. He would have seen someone approaching.”

“Maybe they knew each other,” Wynonna suggested. “Maybe that’s how he’s getting the jump on them. Curtis knew just about everyone and Megan wouldn’t have let any old person into her home.”

“A local?” Nicole asked, horrified by the thought it could be one of their own committing the murders.

“And he’s escalating. That’s what you police types say, right? When a killer kills more frequently.”

Nicole nodded. “You knew Novak, right? Who would want him dead?”

“Are you kidding? He’s a probation officer with a sideline of drug dealing. Everyone he ever came into contact with probably wanted him dead.”

“Wait, what?”

Blue eyes rolled. “He supplied,” she scoffed. “When I say supplied, what I mean is he had his probationers running gear around town.”

Nicole blinked, taking this new information in. Shaking her head, she refocused. “Later, we’ll sit down and you’ll tell me everything you know.”

“You bring the beer, I’ll bring… me.”

“Okay, let’s get started. Do you have your phone? Take photos of everything, the body from every angle, the message, a close-up of the wound. I’ll question the customers. Someone must have seen something useful.”

“As the real police officer, shouldn’t you take the photos while I question the suspects?”

“You’re not really a people person, Wy. You tend to piss everyone off.” She watched Wynonna’s mouth open in protest, and smiled as the brunette swiftly shut it again and shrugged. Leaving the small room, Nicole headed to the bar, seeing Waverly busy serving her regulars. She waited, observing the youngest Earp as she went about her business. Despite what was going on, Waverly still had a smile for everyone.

Nicole had been hoping for some spare time for them to be able to sit down and talk. They had swapped a couple of texts, a quick hello, how are you, in the morning when Nicole arrived to pick up Wynonna, but nothing substantial.

Setting a mug of beer in front of Carl, Waverly smiled at him before turning and making her way over to Nicole. “Hey, is this connected with… what you’ve been looking into?”

Deciding she could take a couple of minutes, Nicole smiled and reached across the bar to light grasp Waverly’s wrist, a finger tenderly stroking the soft skin. “Hey.”

Waverly relaxed and smiled brightly. “Hey.”

“How are you? I mean, really?”

“I told Champ I want a divorce.”

Nicole nodded. “Yeah, I heard. How did he take it?”

Hazel eyes rolled. “He thinks I’m just stressed from everything that’s going on.” Fingers brushing against Nicole’s arm, she delighted in the simple touch. “I feel like this massive weight has been lifted from my shoulders, but at the same time I think you were right. He’s not going to make this easy for me.”

“Yeah.” Releasing Waverly’s wrist, Nicole stepped back, switching back into her professional persona. “I’m not sure if this is related to my case. There are similarities, but there are also differences. Do you remember him coming him? Was he alone or with someone?”

“He was alone. Looked dishevelled, like he was having a bad day. He ordered a bottle of whiskey and a glass and sat alone drinking.” She frowned. “No. Wait a minute. That guy John Henry joined him.” She looked around the bar, trying to spot the mysterious cowboy. “He was the one who found the body. They drank almost the whole bottle and I went over to ask them to pay up, John Henry said Jay was picking up the tab and wandered off to find him.”

“And find him he did.” Nicole looked around. “I don’t see him.”

“Neither do I. He must have snuck out. I’m sorry, I...”

“No, don’t apologise. It’s not your job to secure a scene and the witnesses. Besides,” she smiled a dimpled smile, “you’ve just given a great statement.”

By the time they got back to the station, Nicole was exhausted. She had heard more town gossip than relevant information during her questioning of the regulars, had to retake scene photos after a half-hearted job from Wynonna, and collected an obscene amount of fingerprints which would need going through and checking off. All that on top of having Wynonna sulking because she wouldn’t let the brunette drink more than one beer.

Agent Dolls didn’t even give them a chance to sit down before demanding to know everything. “Was it murder? Was it our guy?”

Sighing heavily as she plopped into her chair, Nicole nodded. “I think so.”

“You think so?”

“No decapitation, but the word sinner was scrawled on a mirror in what looked like blood.”

“Strange,” Dolls muttered. “Why kill in a public toilet during the lunch hour. Is the bar busy during lunchtime?”

“They serve food, so people are in and out,” Nicole told him.

“Yet our guy couldn’t wait. Was it opportunity? He was there, the victim was there so he did it? Or, is none of this connected? Do we have a copycat?” He scowled at Nicole. “What have they written in the newspaper? Did you give them all the details about the case?”

“We kept things back,” she said defensively, not appreciating being treated like a small-town bumpkin. “We didn’t mention the messages being left, nor any specific details about the murders.”

“Doesn’t mean information hasn’t been leaked. Anyone with half a brain could get into the morgue and see the victims were decapitated.”

“But Jay Novak wasn’t,” Wynonna pointed out.

Dolls turned to look at her, scowling as he tried to work out again how she had got a job with the police. “Maybe he was interrupted.”

“Or got spooked,” Wynonna countered. “Waverly told Nicole our boy John Henry was drinking with good old Jay.”

“You think this John Henry killed the victim?” Dolls questioned.

“I think John Henry is our serial killer, who killed Jay then slipped away before anyone could connect the dots.”

Dolls looked at Nicole. “You didn’t question him?”

“Like Wynonna said, he had slipped away by the time we got there and found out what had happened.”

“So, he’s our prime suspect.” Dolls felt the rush of anticipation go through him. He was close to catching this guy, he could feel it.

“But if he is the killer, would he have reported the body?” Nicole questioned. “Why not kill Jay then slip out without anyone knowing?”

“Wynonna said it,” Dolls pointed at the brunette. “He was seen drinking with the victim. To make himself look less guilty, he reports the body like a good citizen. Where do we find him?”

“Um, Officer Haught,” Lonnie interrupted nervously. “The dead man’s wife just called.” His gaze flicked to Wynonna, a frown appearing on his brow. “She was asking for Wynonna.”

“For me?” Wynonna asked in surprise.

“Did I stutter?” He walked away before she could respond.

She looked at Nicole in confusion. “What’s his deal?”

“You ate his lunch,” Nicole replied. “Again. You can’t just take things from the fridge, it’s not your personal picnic hamper.”

“How am I supposed to know which lunch is his?”

Knowing there was no point arguing, Nicole got to her feet. “Come on, let’s go see Mrs. Novak. See what she wants with you. Then afterwards, we’ll go to the store and buy you some lunch stuff to keep in the fridge.”

“I don’t want my lunch stuff. Lonnie’s tastes better.”

“Because it was stolen?”

“I’m not answering that.”

“I’ll join you,” Dolls spoke up, surprising them both. “To speak with Mrs. Novak,” he clarified. “Seeing how we’re all working this case together.”

“Working with or taking over?” Nicole asked, walking off before he had a chance to reply.

*** * * * ***

Answering the knock on the door, Suzie Novak blinked out at the trio on her doorstep. “I said I wanted to talk to you, Wynonna. I didn’t expect a whole posse to show up.”

“Nicole’s my partner and this guy,” she hooked a thumb in Dolls’ direction, “is a shady agency goon following us around and trying to learn a trick or two.”

Ignoring Wynonna, Dolls took a step forward and offered Suzie his hand. “I’m very sorry about your husband, Mrs. Novak,” he sympathised. “If what you have to say can help our investigation in any way, I would be interested to hear it.”

Ever the good housewife, Suzie let the trio in and led the way to the living room, enquiring if they wanted coffee. They all declined.

“Okay, Suzie, start from the beginning,” Wynonna told her.

The woman shifted nervously. “This afternoon, Jay comes to me and tells me that for ten years he’s been a big time drug dealer.” She let out a strained laugh. “My Jay, for Christ’s sake!”

“I thought he was a probation officer?” Dolls queried in confusion.

“Yeah, that’s a good cover, isn’t it?” Wynonna snorted, bitterly. “Sometimes Jay would put his probationer’s to work. Unpaid minions.” She looked to Nicole, her lifelong best friend, who she knew would have gone out of her way to help her at the time if she could have. “Making a delivery one night, I got arrested. Didn’t snitch. Refused to go down that route and for my silence got sent back to juvie for the third time.” Blue eyes turned back to Suzie. “So, you didn’t know he was dealing?”

“A little weed,” she admitted. “I didn’t know he’d gone all Breaking Bad. I mean… it was Jay. You knew him, Wynonna, right? You wouldn’t for one second think he was capable. But today—” She shook her head.

“What happened today?” Nicole asked.

“It was like he’d lost his mind! He came to me and said he had to confess, had to tell me the whole truth. He kept going on and on about how he had been judged, how he was a sinner and needed to repent. He practically screamed at me to forgive him.”

“Did you?” Dolls asked, suspecting he knew the answer.

“Sure.” She didn’t sound convincing. “I mean,” she looked around her home, “we live comfortably because of his… extracurricular activity. We couldn’t afford this place on a his real wage.”

“But he’s dead,” Nicole pointed out. “So, obviously the killer thought Jay hadn’t repented enough.”

Suzie paced back and forth, hands clenching and unclenching. “I… I got a warning.” Turning suddenly, she rushed to Wynonna and grasped her hands desperately. “He’s coming for me, Wynonna! But you… you’re going to save me, all right? I need you to forgive me.”

Baffled, Wynonna looked to Nicole then Dolls, before her gaze settled back on Suzie. “For what?”

Suzie let out a long shuddering breath. “I… I was to blame for you being sent back to juvie!”

“What?”

“I’m sorry, okay? I really am. You were a kid, a mixed up kid, but...” Suzie looked around the room at the trio, eyes wide and full of fear. “But, one day, Jay came to me and says the police are starting to circle him. Says he needs something, a fall guy. I… I knew he was using you, Wynonna, and I… I called in the anonymous tip on you.”

“You? You ratted me out?” Anger quickly swept in, blue eyes turning icy. “You selfish...”

“It was you or my husband,” Suzie tried to defend her actions. “People already thought the worse about you. Your poor aunt and uncle were at the end of their tether with you. Jay and I… we were respected, we had so much to lose. Please! Please, forgive me. Before it’s too late!”

Wynonna shook her head as she got to her feet, feeling like the room was tilting on her. Her life had never been easy and to know people in town conspired against her to make it even more difficult made her hate them all the more. “That was my third strike, Suzie! My sister, Waverly, do you know how many times I had to abandon her, leave her behind because I didn’t want my badness, my craziness to rub off on her? All the gossip about me, the name calling, I left for good to give her a better chance at life here. Years of her life I missed out on because… because you wanted to keep your fancy life!”

“You have to forgive me because you’re next, Wynonna. He mentioned you, your sins, your bad deeds. We can save each other.”

“Mrs. Novak, you’ll have to come with me,” Dolls spoke up, on his feet, body tense and looking around like someone was going to jump out of the shadows to get them. “I’ll take you into protective custody until we catch this guy.”

“Protective custody? What does that mean? I can’t leave my home, my life.”

“Yeah, get a taste of what I had to give up,” Wynonna said bitterly.

“It’s not safe here, Mrs. Novak,” Dolls said. “He’s already killed your husband and threatened you. At least at the station you’ll be safe.”

“The station? The police station! That’s where you expect me to stay? Like some… two-bit criminal. Forget it!”

“Mrs. Novak,” Dolls sighed, not liking the attitudes of the people of Purgatory one bit. They had been fighting him every step of the way, when all he wanted was to do his job. “Until I can secure a safe house, the station is the safest place for you.”

“He’s right, Mrs. Novak,” Nicole spoke up in agreement. “If you want to live, you’re gonna have to trust us.”

Suzie deflated as she realised she wasn’t going to win this argument. “I need a coat and my handbag. And… my shoes are upstairs.” She looked nervously towards the darkened staircase.

“Wynonna, why don’t you accompany her upstairs,” Dolls suggested. “While I have a quick word with Officer Haught.” He watched Wynonna lead the way, amused by her and yet horrified at her total lack of professionalism. He didn’t quite understand her role with the police. From what he had found out, she had never been to the police academy and had no training in anything whatsoever. But everywhere Nicole Haught went, Wynonna wasn’t far behind. And truth be told, they made a good team in his opinion, the perfect balance of yin and yang.

He turned his attention to the tall redhead, standing and awaiting instruction. Nedley was right, she was a good officer. Not that Dolls would admit that out loud. “I’ll take her back to the station and get her comfortable. You stay here. Search the house for any clues that our guy has been here. Also, look for evidence of Jay’s drug operation. A book of associates would be nice, but I won’t hold my breath.”

“Got it.” Nicole shook her head. “I had no idea.”

“Don’t beat yourself up. People always have secrets, even those you think you know well.”

“I’ll get Wynonna to talk to the neighbours,” Nicole said. “Maybe they’ve seen someone lurking around. I don’t think he’s that careless, but—”

“He wasn’t,” Dolls agreed. “But lately he’s gotten reckless. Killing Jay Novak in a public toilet is very out of character.”

“I… I’m ready,” Suzie said from the living room doorway, looking small and terrified even dressed in high-end fashion.

Left alone in the too quiet house, Wynonna looked at Nicole. “So, do I get a gun now that this guy’s after me?”

*** * * * ***

“What sort of operation are you running here, Nedley?” Bunny Loblaw demanded to know. Like a one-woman tornado, she had marched through the station and into Nedley’s office where she had barked at him about wanting to know the truth, demanding to be told what the hell was going on in her town.

Randy Nedley was a patient man, a laid back man, sometimes to a fault, but there were some days when he wished he had the nerve to throw something at Bunny’s head just to shut her up so he could get a word in edgeways.

“People being murdered, bodies being stolen, what are you doing about it?”

“The body was returned,” he replied nonchalantly. Bunny glared and he got the feeling that if she could breathe fire, she would. Right at him. He sighed. “My job. I’m doing my job” he told her. “We’re investigating. Sometimes these things take time.”

Half turning so she could look out the office window, Bunny scowled in Dolls’s direction. “And who is that? A suspect? A… gang banger?”

He could tell it wasn’t a word she was familiar with, just something she had heard at one of her women meetings or on the television. “That is Agent Dolls of the FBI.”

“Him?”

“Yes, him. He has been trying to catch this killer for awhile, going the length and breadth of the country.”

“A while?” Wide eyes turned back to the sheriff.

“Yes, Bunny. This killer likes to kill. Women. A lot of women. So, why don’t you head on home and lock your doors and windows and remain observant.”

“Lock my… you don’t think I’m next, do you?”

“Well..” Nedley paused dramatically, taking a small amount of delight in watching the colour fade from her cheeks. “Who can say for sure?”

“I… I… I demand an escort! I insist you have a patrol car parked outside my house, with hourly check-ins.”

“No can do, Bunny. My funding was slashed, remember? On your suggestion to the city council. But don’t worry, you can call us if you see or hear anything suspicious. I’ll send someone over as soon as I’m able to.”

“As soon as you’re able!” she sputtered.

“I’ll have Lonnie drive you home, if you like. He can do a quick check of your house.”

“That wimp? No! No, I want...” Her gaze drifted back out the office window and she realised how limited her options were. “I want… someone.”

Nedley smiled politely. “We all want someone, Bunny. Sometimes we have to make do. Lonnie,” he called out to the only deputy he had at the station.

“Sheriff?”

“Drive Mrs. Loblaw home will you, son.”

“Uh, yes, Sir.”

“She’s worried about the killer in town, so if you could do a quick check of her property, make sure no one is lurking in the shadows, I’m sure she would appreciate it.”

Lonnie looked at Bunny and didn’t get the impression she would appreciate it at all. “Yes, Sir.”

Chuckling lightly to himself, Nedley watched poor Lonnie follow after Bunny as the battleaxe marched out of the bullpen. He frowned as his attention was grabbed by Agent Dolls pacing back and forth restlessly across the bullpen like a man caged. He thought the behaviour strange and was tempted to go and ask what was wrong. But then he decided to leave the agent to it. If his help was needed Dolls would have to man up and come and ask.

Xavier Dolls wasn’t a man who worried needlessly, but it had been two hours since he left the Novak house with Mrs. Novak, and Officer Haught and Wynonna Earp still hadn’t returned to the station. He hadn’t given them a difficult task, a simple search of the house, quick chat with the neighbours, then back to the station to fill out the relevant paperwork. So what was the hold up?

“Agent Dolls,” Nedley called out twenty minutes later, having watched the man grow more and more agitated.

Dolls stopped suddenly and turned to look in the sheriff’s direction.

“I suggest less coffee.”

Scowling, Dolls went back to pacing and Nedley went back to watching him. Internally arguing with himself, Dolls paced to the left of the station, then trying to answer the points he had raised to himself, he paced all the back to the right, until finally he stopped in the open doorway of Nedley’s office. “Nedley.”

“Agent Dolls.”

“They should be back by now and they’re not.”

“They?”

“Haught and Earp. It’s been two hours. And seeing how you’ve done nothing but tell me that Officer Haught is more than capable at her job, I’m...” he exhaled, “worried. I’m worried that something might have happened, because a house search shouldn’t take two hours. Not even a really thorough search.”

“Maybe they stopped for a bite to eat.”

“Then she would have called it in. I want you to try and get her on the radio.” Dolls turned and walked away only to stop and turn back. “Please.”

To see the big burly agent worried was unnerving, so Nedley got to his feet and left his office, heading for the front desk where the old radio was. Marge, the woman who manned the front desk and operated the radio for them had gone home for the day, so he took her chair. “Officer Haught, what’s your twenty?” Waiting and only hearing static echoing back, Nedley frowned. “Officer Haught, do you copy?”

They waited a whole minute for an answer and got no response. Which was when Nedley really started to worry. He glanced at Dolls who was hovering nearby. “Maybe her radio died,” she suggested.

“You’ve told me she’s a by-the-book cop. A good cop. She doesn’t seem the sort to go out with a radio that wasn’t charged up.”

“Right. You’re right. Maybe she dropped it and it broke. Wynonna is known to cause chaos.” Dropping the radio, Nedley stood up and put his hands on his hips, trying to think.

“Maybe,” Dolls agreed. “It happens.” He didn’t sound convinced and Nedley didn’t look convinced.

Picking the radio back up, Nedley depressed the button. “Lonnie, I want you to drop Bunny off and then head straight over to the Novak house.”

“ _By myself, Sheriff?_ ”

Nedley exhaled heavily. “Son, you are an officer of the law. You are supposed to bravely protect and serve.”

“ _You don’t want me to check Mrs. Loblaw’s house for intruders then?_ ”

“No. I want to know if Deputy Haught’s still at the Novak house.” He blinked rapidly as he heard bursts of Bunny complaining loudly and what sounded like a scuffle.

“ _What happened… ect and… me?_ ” Bunny screeched.

“ _Mrs… give me… radio!_ ”

“ _Now you listen here, Nedley!_ ” Bunny came on the radio.

“Bunny, get off the damn line,” Nedley ordered. “Lonnie? Lonnie, can you hear me?” he questioned, hearing the sounds of them fighting for the radio. He rolled his eyes, realising Lonnie was a lost cause when it came to serious policing.

“Why is she in the front of his car?” Dolls questioned, unimpressed.

“Knowing Bunny, she insisted,” Nedley muttered. “Lonnie, drop Bunny off and head to the Novak house, that’s an order. Let me know when you get there.” Dropping the radio with a heavy sigh, he reached up with both hands to rub his face, longing for the days when he had a budget for better officers.

“We should keep trying to get Officer Haught on the radio,” Dolls said softly. Not one to show his emotions, he did feel bad for the sheriff. “I’m sure it’s nothing, but better safe than sorry.”

Eyes shining with worry, Nedley looked up at the ever presentable Dolls. “Can you stay here and man the radio until I get back?”

“You’ve leaving?”

“I need to drive out to the Earp homestead. Someone needs to tell Waverly what’s going on. I guarantee Bunny will be on the phone as soon as she gets through her door, lord knows Waverly doesn’t deserve to hear this from Bunny Loblaw or one of her insensitive cronies.”

“We don’t know that anything is wrong,” Dolls stated. “Why worry her if this is nothing?”

“You’re the one who just stomped into my office and announced he was worried. Now you’re not worried?” He knew Dolls was worried, because he himself was worried. Two hours was a long time and with no response on the radio he had the gut feeling that this was something more than a broken radio.

Dolls puffed out his chest. “Did you put out that APB on John Henry?”

“I did. Even sent one of my boys out to the Del Rey trailer park where he’s staying. He wasn’t there and no one had seen him since this morning. The second we find him, we’ll bring him in.”

“ _Sheriff, this is Lonnie._ ”

Snatching up the radio, Nedley depressed the button, feeling a flare of hope that maybe this was all a misunderstanding. “You’re at the Novak house?”

“ _Yes, Sir. No sign of Nicole’s car here. Do you want me to check the house anyway?_ ”

Nedley looked to Dolls to see what he thought.

“Wouldn’t hurt,” the agent said. “If they have been snatched there might be signs of a struggle inside.”

“Go ahead and check the house, Lonnie.” They waited as one minute ticked by, then another and another. “Maybe they’ve gone to grab a bite to eat,” Nedley said thoughtfully.

“Maybe.” Again Dolls wasn’t convinced.

After along five minute wait, the radio crackled to life again.

“ _House is locked up securely, Sheriff. No sign of Wynonna or Nicole._ ”

“Damn it to hell!” Nedley growled, a ball of dread settling in his belly. Every cop instinct he had was screaming at him that his best officer and Wynonna had been snatched by a very dangerous killer. Making a decision, he said solemnly into the radio, “This is Sheriff Nedley. This is an APB for a Purgatory patrol car, a Deputy Nicole Haught, and police consultant Wynonna Earp. Suspected kidnap victims. All cars be on the lookout.”


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To all you amazing people reading this story, whether you celebrate Christmas or not, I wish you all good health, good luck, and a happier 2021 than what we've all endured this year.

**S** tanding in the doorway watching Champ playing with Aurora, the little girl’s laughter filling the homestead as Champ played the part of a pony and let her ride around on his back, Waverly stood nibbling on her bottom lip as doubt about her decision started to creep back in.

Watching Champ playing and laughing with their daughter, she was reminded of what a good father he was when he set his mind to it and wasn’t so sure she had done the right thing in kicking him out. It was easy for her to decide her marriage was a sham, that she wanted them to separate, because she had never really wanted him in the first place. But Aurora adored him and when he was home, she was his shadow for as long as he had the patience to allow it.

_But, I’m miserable,_ she thought. _And in love with someone else,_ _dingus_ _,_ a little voice that sounded a lot like Wynonna told her.

Startled by someone knocking on the front door, Waverly shrugged at Champ’s questioning look. She wasn’t expecting Wynonna home for at least another hour and Gus was working the night shift at Shorty’s so it couldn’t be her. Opening the door to Sheriff Nedley standing on the front porch, her heart plummeted and her belly twisted in knots. If he was here, something was wrong. “Is Wynonna all right?”

“Waverly.” Nedley took a deep breath as he removed his hat, nervously fiddling with it. “Something’s happened and I wanted you to hear it from me in person.” He watched the colour drain from her face and feared she might pass out.

“Wynonna and Nicole. Are they…?” Waverly took a shaky breath, not prepared to utter the words as a chill set in her bones. “Come in. Do you want to come in? You should come in. Or should I come out?”

Hearing Aurora giggling within the house made his mind up for him. “You should step out.” He took a couple of steps back and waited as Waverly stepped out onto the porch and pulled the door shut behind her. “I don’t want you to panic,” he said as hazel eyes bore into him.

“That’s not a good start, Sheriff. Are they hurt? Are they okay? At least tell me they’re okay.” She wrapped her arms around herself as she shivered.

“They’re missing. We think.” He frowned. “Actually, we’re not really sure yet. Only, it’s been two hours and they haven’t come back to the station, and when I tried to get Nicole on the radio there was no answer.”

Waverly panicked then because Nicole was the utmost professional when it came to her job and she wouldn’t not answer her radio. And they had been hunting a serial killer. “I… I saw them this morning. They came in for coffee.” Her eyes filled with tears as she remembered her grumpy sister that morning. “I gave Wynonna herbal tea and she—” she choked on the words, hoping and praying that wasn’t the last interaction she had with her beloved sister. “Nicole um… there was a call over Nicole’s radio about Agent Dolls wanting them at the station.”

Nedley nodded. “They turned up. And they turned up at Shorty’s when you called in the murder of Mr. Novak.”

“Yeah,” Waverly nodded. “Yeah, Nicole talked to everyone who was there, she worked the scene, she’s a good cop, Nedley.”

“I know. I know she is.”

“She told me they were heading back to the station.”

“They made it back,” Nedley assured her.

“So, where are they now? You said it had been two hours.”

“Last seen at the Novak house. Mrs. Novak phoned the station wanting to speak to Wynonna and they drove out to see what she had to say.”

“Is Suzie missing too?”

“No, she’s at the station. Agent Dolls brought her in for safety reasons.” He moved to perch on the porch railing. “Look, Waverly, we don’t know anything yet. It could be something simple like a blown tire and Nicole’s radio breaking. We both know Wynonna’s capable of driving her to distraction.”

Waverly offered up a small smile, knowing the truth in that. “But you’re not sure,” she said, her smile fading. “Otherwise you wouldn’t have driven all the way out here to talk to me.” She watched his moustache twitch. She was right and they both knew it, it was a half an hour drive from the station to the homestead, if Nedley didn’t have concerns, serious concerns, he wouldn’t have come. “You think the killer’s got them, don’t you?” It was asked softly, her voice laced with fear that she couldn’t stop from growing.

“I came because Bunny Loblaw overheard there might be a problem. I didn’t want her phoning you and giving you incorrect information.”

“So, what now?”

“I’ve put out an APB. But this could all be nothing, I could get back to the station and find them sitting at a desk laughing at me for getting so worried over them.” He hadn’t dared to think beyond this being a blown tire and broken radio.

“I’ll come back to the station with you,” Waverly decided.

“Oh, well, there’s no need for that.”

“You need to be there and that’s where I’ll get the news first. Good or… bad.” She unfolded her arms. “Let me tell Champ I have to come into town with you.”

“I can keep you in the loop via phone, Waverly. There’s really no need—”

“I can’t stay here waiting for the phone to ring while they’re out there somewhere. Once word gets around town, people will start ringing to ask if I’m all right and if there’s anything they can do and that will block the line from you and any news you have.”

Seeing there would be no changing her mind and knowing he really did have to get back to the station, Nedley nodded his agreement.

Champ looked up as the front door swung open, watching Waverly rush in and sit on the stairs to put her shoes on. “Who was at the door, babe?”

“Sheriff Nedley. I have to go into town with him. Can you stay here with Aurora?”

Getting to his feet, Champ swung Aurora up into his arms, frowning as he walked towards his wife. “What for?”

“What do you mean what for? I need to go into town and Aurora needs someone to stay with her.”

“I mean why are you going into town with Nedley? Wynonna been arrested?”

“Wynonna and Nicole could be missing. I want to be at the station when news comes in.” She finished putting on her boots.

“Could be missing? So, you don’t know. They could be at Shorty’s having a drink, right?”

“Nedley couldn’t reach Nicole on the radio.”

“So? Maybe she turned it off.” He didn’t get what all the fuss was about and didn’t particularly care.

“There is no way she would turn it off while on duty and no way she would go out with a radio that hadn’t been fully charged. She’s a good cop, Champ.”

“Why are you defending her?”

She ignored the question. “Something’s happened,” she said instead. “Something bad. I can feel it.” She grabbed her coat.

“You can’t just leave us to go run off with the sheriff,” Champ protested. “What about dinner?”

“Are you kidding me right now?” she snapped. Her heart was fluttering wildly in fear, her mind playing out all the worst scenarios, and now her idiot husband was sulking and pouting because she wouldn’t stay home and play the good little wife. “You think I care about making you something to eat when my sister and my… Nicole have possibly been snatched by a goddamn serial killer?” Coat on, she glared at him. “I need to be there, Champ. I can’t stay here waiting for a telephone call. I need you to grow up and look after our daughter until I get back.” Deciding she didn’t need anything else, she walked out the door without another word.

Halfway to Nedley’s patrol car she regretted storming out without a goodbye to Aurora. She debated going back but decided she could  apologise when she turned, maybe with late night ice cream. “Should I phone Gus?” she asked Nedley as she slid into the passenger seat.

“Is she working at Shorty’s this evening?”

“Yeah.”

“Might be an idea. Once news gets out, she’ll hear it from someone.”

Taking her phone out of her pocket, Waverly saw that her hands were shaking. She couldn’t lose two of the most important women in her life, but knowing a serial killer might have them trapped somewhere made it a horrific possibility. One small comfort was that they were together, they could get each other through. “Hello, Gus.” She sounded too professional, not like family at all. “Is Wynonna there by any chance?” She shook her head at Nedley as he glanced her way. “No, she’s not in trouble. I’m heading to the police station with the sheriff. He’s not sure but… Wy and Nicole might have been taken.”

*** * * * ***

Half an hour ticked past slowly. Tortuously slowly. Each tick of the second-hand taunted Waverly with the fact another second had gone by with no news. Gus had sent over hot coffee for everyone, and Nedley had called Chrissy in to keep Waverly company. All Waverly wanted was some news. Even if it was something as stupid as a blown tire, or Nicole drifting into a ditch and needing a tow out, she just wanted to know that they were okay, wanted them to come through the doors bickering like they always did.

Life continued on. Radios crackled with ineligible voices, Deputy Dave Inglis brought in a couple of drunks needing to sleep it off, and Mrs. Grandeur walked in to complain that no one had picked up the phone when she called the station to report that her dog was still missing. As the hour mark past, Deputy Colin Shivers brought in John Henry in handcuffs and cuffed him to a desk, telling the sheriff the cowboy had run up a hefty tab at Ba-ding Ba-ding and he didn’t seem to have the money to pay.

Nedley praised his deputy for a job well done in apprehending a wanted suspect in the murder of Jay Novak, news which made John Henry protest his innocence loudly, until Dolls put a strong hand on his shoulder and squeezed until he shut up.

Watching on, Waverly wondered how everything could seem so normal.

“Sheriff!” Lonnie yelled as he raced into the station in a panic, getting their attention instantly. “Sheriff Nedley!” He was petrified, the colour faded from his face. He needed to report what he had discovered because he didn’t know what it meant.

“There’s no need for hollering, Lonnie, I’m right here.” Nedley watched the younger man double over as he tried to catch his breath. “You found something?”

“They’re gone, Sheriff!” Lonnie stood up straight, locking eyes with his boss. “I was driving back into town when a report of an abandoned cruiser came over the radio.” He sucked in a deep breath while Nedley glared at Dolls.

“I told you to man the radio while I was gone.”

“And I did,” Dolls replied calmly. “There was a report of an abandoned car, so I sent your deputy to investigate. You’re welcome.”

Nedley’s gaze returned to Lonnie. “And it was Deputy Haught’s car?”

Lonnie nodded. “They’ve been taken, Sheriff.”

“What do you mean taken? How do you know they’ve been taken?” Nedley questioned, very aware that the station had fallen silent, everyone hanging on Lonnie’s words.

Lonnie’s gaze flicked to Waverly, hating to be the one to tell her it was bad news. “There were blood traces on the car.”

Waverly gasped, eyes instantly filling with tears as she thought the worst. She felt a hand on her back and knew it was Chrissy silently offering support, but it didn’t make her feel better.

“I searched the area and found some blood droplets on the ground but other than that, nothing.”

“He’s got them,” Dolls stated, sure of his belief.

“You can’t know that for sure,” Nedley said.

“Mrs. Novak said he was coming for her and that Wynonna was also on his list. Your deputy is collateral damage.”

“There were two of them to his one,” Nedley argued. “There is no conceivable way he could overpower the both of them.”

Nedley had a point there, not that Dolls would admit it out loud. He looked at Lonnie. “Where was the car?”

“Near woodland.”

“There,” Dolls pointed at Lonnie while looking at Nedley. “He tricked them into stopping for whatever reason and caught them unaware.”

Waverly stood up, her legs feeling like jelly as she stared at the bickering men wide-eyed. “What are you going to do about it?”

They turned in her direction, blinking at her like they had forgotten she was even present. Their gazes flicked to each other then back to Waverly, trying to think of something kind to say.

“Well?” she prompted.

“I’ll phone the office,” Dolls replied. “Make a discrete request for additional resources. We need boots on the ground, a map of the entire town, evidence of where they might have been taken.” He looked at Nedley. “Have you got people you can call in?” During his short time in Purgatory, he had only ever seen two deputies working at a time.

“A few. I don’t have a lot of deputies, but I do have good townsfolk who know the land well.”

“We… we need choppers!” Waverly interrupted, not thinking small. “With thermal imaging. If he’s in the forest somewhere it will take us days to even get close. And this man doesn’t hang around.”

“To call him a man would be to speak generously.”

Startled by the voice, they all turned to the softly spoken John Henry.

“He has a tongue for bible verse, yet he is the greatest sinner of us all.”

“You know him?” Dolls moved closer, interested in the man now that he might have information.

“Of him.” Blue eyes flicked to the sheriff. “In Kansas there was a schoolteacher by the name of Sally. She laughed like a mule, but her eyes did shine.” He smiled in fond remembrance. “I was sweet on her, but she went missing. A posse went out looking—”

“A posse?” Dolls asked in amusement. “What is this, the eighteen hundreds?”

Baby blues settled on the agent, icy and hard. “We tracked her to the hills, where we found her inside a cave along with three other women who it had been thought had run off. Their heads had been clean removed, their insides out and spread around their own bodies like some kind of evil artwork. 1 John 1:8-10 was scrawled on the wall they had been propped up against.”

Frowning, Dolls marched through to the offices he had taken over and swiftly returned carrying a bible. “New Testament,” he muttered, opening the book and rapidly flicking through pages. “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness,” he read.

“So, he thinks he’s God?” Chrissy asked. “Purifying them from all their sins?”

“Oh, God,” Waverly muttered, knowing Wynonna was no angel.

“We found no sign of the killer,” John Henry continued. “And as quickly as the disappearances started they stopped. I suppose that is because he was making his way here to your fair town.”

“Who are you?” Dolls questioned, eyeing him and deciding he didn’t like him. “Why do the FBI not know about those murders? Why are you here?”

“John Henry Holliday, at your service, if you so require.”

“We don’t, thanks anyway,” Dolls dismissed him.

“Well, hold on now,” Nedley spoke up, eyeing the young cowboy. “If he’s tracked our killer before, maybe he can do so again.”

“He’s handcuffed to a desk over an unpaid bar tab and is prime suspect in an open murder investigation. We don’t need his help.”

The handcuffs rattled as John Henry shifted in his seat. “Well now, this here is just a plain ol’ misunderstanding. I was going to pay my tab.” His eyes flicked to Waverly. “Both my tabs.”

“You had no money on you when you were searched,” Colin spoke up, looking up from his paperwork.

“That is why I was engaging in a game of cards. Would have taken me no longer than the evening to settle up with everyone.” He smiled charmingly. “As to murder, I would do no such thing. In fact, I found that man lying on the floor already dead and I informed the young lady so she could call it in. Would I have done that if I had killed him?”

“Who can work out the mind of a serial killer?” Dolls replied, not buying it for a second.

“He didn’t do it,” Waverly decided. “I’ve got a good feeling about him and I’m an excellent judge of character.”

Having known her all her life, Nedley was on her side. Dolls most definitely wasn’t.

“There, from the lips of an angel,” John Henry smiled. “What say you uncuff me and I help you with your predicament. Surely that will be repayment enough.”

“You still have to pay your tab,” Nedley told him. “Plus tip. But, we could use the help.”

“Sheriff!” Dolls protested.

“Look, Agent Dolls, I’m not happy about it, but we’re low on numbers here. Your people will take at least a day to get here and we need all the help we can right now.”

“Your man is adept at all manner of blade,” John Henry put in, helping his cause. “How do you think he takes their heads so cleanly off?”

“He’s killed a number of people all across the country,” Waverly put in, feeling panic settling within her chest. “With all the time in the world, you heard what John Henry said, he took their insides out. Come on!”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Nedley stopped her with a gentle hand on the arm. “You have to stay here with Chrissy.”

“What? Why? No,” she shook her head. “I have to be out there.”

“I need you two to stay here and woman the radio,” he said patiently. “Keep us organised out there so we’re not all covering the same ground over and over. Besides, your sister would never forgive me if anything were to happen to you. Nor Nicole for that matter.” He smiled in a fatherly manner. “Last thing I need is those two unhappy with me.”

“Right,” she nodded, dejected she was being sidelined, but pleased he was giving her something to do. She grasped his hand tightly. “Bring them home safe, okay?”

“Of course.” He looked at John Henry. “All right, Holliday, let’s get you out of those cuffs.”

*** * * * ***

Coming around, Wynonna felt foggy and confused. She grumbled unhappily, her tongue stuck to the roof of her mouth in an unpleasant way. “What the hell did I drink last night, Waverly?” She shifted so she could get up.

“No, no, no, lay back.” A hand gently pushed on her shoulder. “You’re okay, just lay back.”

Unfocused eyes blinked upon hearing the male voice in her room. As her vision started clearing, she  realised she wasn’t in her room. “What happened? Where am I?”

“Deep breaths, Deputy Earp,” the man ordered. “Do you remember me?”

As the fogginess shrouding her thoughts cleared, she did remember him and wasn’t best pleased to see him again. “Am I in the morgue?”

He smiled kindly. “Thankfully, no.” You’re in the hospital. Do you remember anything about the accident?”

Wynonna felt panic swell in her chest. Accident? If she was in the hospital, where was Waverly? Had Waverly been with her? “Walter White had been killed.”

“Okay. Some memory loss is normal after such… trauma.”

“Trauma?” Wynonna shook her head, willing the fuzziness away. “Where’s Waverly? Where’s my sister? Why isn’t she here holding my hand and scolding me for being an idiot?” She tried to sit up again.

“No, no.” His hands were back on her shoulders, pushing her down forcefully to keep her in the bed. “We have to limit your visitors right now, until—”

Wynonna stopped struggling and frowned at her covered lower half. “Why can’t I move my legs?”

Reggie exhaled. “Wynonna, I need you to listen to me.”

“I was… in the car. I was with—”

“There’s no easy way to tell you this,” Reggie continued, oblivious, or simply not caring about her distress. “You suffered severe damage to your spinal cord, causing paralysis from the waist down.”

She shook her head frantically and grabbed his white coat firmly. “You don’t understand, I love my legs. They’re what I walk on. Sometimes sexy strut.”

Wrestling himself free of her grasp, Reggie reached into his pocket for a syringe.

Wynonna frowned as she watched him push something into her IV line. “What are you giving me? I feel so—”

“Hungover?” he suggested. “You’re very lucky, Deputy. Lucky you didn’t kill anyone.”

“I wasn’t drunk.” She frowned, trying to recall. “I wasn’t driving. Ask—” What had she been doing? Where had she been going? “Nicole! Nicole was driving. Deputy Haught-stuff.” She looked around the room. “Where’s Nicole?”

Stethoscope out, Reggie placed it against Wynonna’s chest. “Shh, I have to listen, okay? We don’t want any internal damage.”

Grabbing the end, Wynonna lifted it to her lips. “No, you listen!”

Ripping the earbuds from his ears, he scowled darkly at her. “Let me guess, you two were real close?”

She crossed her fingers. “Like this. She’s my best friend. She’s the love of my sister’s life. So, where is she?” She tried to think, needing an explanation that would help her calm down. Why the hell couldn’t she remember? Looking into Reggie’s eyes, dead eyes like those of a shark, she  realised she had no choice but to go along with this for now because she needed answers, she needed whatever drugs he had given her to wear off, and she needed him distracted long enough for her to escape. “What did you mean by were real close?”

“I’m afraid Deputy Haught didn’t make it.” He didn’t sound sorry in the slightest. “Died at the scene. And you, Wynonna, are being a bad patient while I’m trying to do my best to help you.”

She didn’t believe him. Nicole couldn’t be dead. She wouldn’t believe it until she saw the body for herself, or heard the words from Waverly or Nedley. One thing she did know was that Nicole owed her dinner, because she was right, Doctor Reggie was so their guy.

*** * * * ***

The police station was bustling with people. As word got out that two of their own had been taken by the serial killer, townsfolk started turning up ready to help. Waverly had cried more in the last half hour than she had the entire year as she was hugged and offered comforting words, overwhelmed that these people, people who most of the time hated the Earps, put aside their differences in order to lend a hand.

She had a map of Purgatory pinned up and a red marker in hand, currently focused on forming teams to go out searching. Chrissy was handing out flasks of hot coffee, while Nedley handed around a rescue pack containing a first aid kit, trail tape, map and compass, binoculars, and waterproof matches. Kits usually contained a lot more, but this mission they just needed to find Wynonna’s location.

“Perry, Bryce, Skip, and Cam,” Waverly called out to the former hockey teammates. “I want you guys to search the badlands.” She pointed to the map. “Kyle, Pete, Jerry and Moira, the foothills.” She looked around and locked eyes with Mercedes. “Mercedes, can you and Beth head back to your land, take—”

“WE FOUND HER!” Deputy Shivers yelled out from the doors. “We found Haught.”

Nedley pushed through the crowd. “How is she?”

“She’s alive. Barely. A motorist spotted her on the side of the highway. EMTs had to resuscitate on site.”

“Resuscitate? Is she… is she going to be okay?” Waverly asked, barely breathing as her heart constricted painfully, as if it were being squeezed in a vice.

Nedley pulled her into a hesitant hug. “Chin up. Officer Haught is the strongest deputy I’ve ever had.”

Waverly felt numb as Nedley held her delicately. Hazel eyes suddenly locked on to Dolls as the agent retrieved his suit jacket. Moving out of Nedley’s awkward hug, she marched over to the agent. “I need you to pull your finger out and help Nedley find my sister,” she said sternly, eyes silently begging him to help. “I know different agencies don’t get along and don’t usually work well together, but Nedley doesn’t have the manpower and with Nicole—” Her voice hitched as she realised she wasn’t sure about Nicole’s condition. “Nicole’s in the hospital.”

“I assure you, Mrs. Hardy, we are monitoring the situation.” There was nothing in his tone but professionalism.

“Monitoring the situation?” Waverly snapped, tears swelling in her eyes. “What the hell does that mean?”

“Just because I’m the only one here doesn’t mean I don’t have a whole team working for me.” His gaze softened in sympathy, not wanting to be cruel, but needing her to realise the seriousness of the situation. “You do know who took your sister, don’t you, Mrs. Hardy? We can’t rush in all gung-ho.”

“I know that time is of the essence and you hanging back won’t help Wynonna in the slightest. So, what you’re standing here saying is that you won’t help my sister?” Tears slid down her cheeks as she thought about losing another member of her family. “What will you write in the file, Agent Dolls? Collateral damage?”

Shoulders set, spine straight, Dolls stared at her, reminded again of why he hated dealing with people. “She’s already dead, Mrs. Hardy.”

“It’s Earp, arsehole!” Waverly yelled, getting everyone’s attention. “Waverly Earp! And we’ll find her with or without your damn help.”

“You tell him, Waverly,” Pete York smiled proudly.

Walking around Waverly, Dolls locked eyes with Nedley. “Let’s get to the hospital. As of now, your deputy is our only witness.”

“Sheriff,” Waverly called out. “I’m coming with you,” she declared, not to be told no this time. She turned around to look at her best friend. “Chrissy, can you take over organising everyone? We still need to find Wynonna.”

“Of course.” Smiling, Chrissy pulled Waverly into her arms. “Don’t worry, Waves. We’ll find her.”

The ride to the hospital had Waverly feeling like a kaleidoscope of butterflies had set up shop in her belly. She couldn’t remember ever feeling so anxious. Her one small comfort was that Nicole was alive, she had to be alive, because surely someone would have told her if that wasn’t the case. Surely they wouldn’t let her go all the way to the hospital only to be told there.

As it started to rain, dark thoughts rolled in. What if Nicole died? What if they reached the hospital and were met by a grave looking doctor with bad news? She startled as a flash of lightning lit up the darkened sky.  _I will not have negative thoughts,_ she told herself as she waited for the rumble of thunder that would tell her how close the storm was. When it came, it was deep and foreboding and she wrapped her arms around herself for comfort.

“Are you all right, Waverly?” Nedley asked kindly.

“Mm.”

“Chrissy used to hate thunder,” Nedley recalled fondly. “We used to tell her it was God moving his furniture around.”

Waverly smiled, remembering that. She wasn’t too keen on thunder and lightning herself, but she loved the rain. Loved listening to it hitting a window pane, loved hearing the tippy-tapping against the roof, loved the memories it invoked.

Her first kiss had been during a spring shower. She had been twelve years old and in a full-blown dramatic sulk complaining that it was Valentine’s Day and she didn’t have anyone to kiss, that as an Earp, no one would ever want to kiss her, and a day dedicated to love was cruel on her delicate heart. Nicole had surprised them both by stepping forward and pressing her lips against Waverly’s and just as quickly stepping back, wide-eyed and terrified by what she had done.

She remembered when she was a teenager and her relationship with Nicole was new and exciting. Every kiss was the best ever, every moment they got to spend alone was time cherished. The first time they were intimate with each other had been during a summer storm.

_Summer:_

Waverly squeaked in fright as a deep baritone of thunder rumbled across the land.

“It’s okay, babe, just some thunder.” Nicole reassured her girlfriend, rubbing the nearest arm to comfort her.

“With thunder you usually get lightning,” Waverly replied, moving to the hay door to look out at the rapidly darkening sky. “And we’re in a wooden box, Nicole.”

“Otherwise known as the barn,” Nicole cheekily replied. Despite the threat of the incoming storm it was still stifling hot, especially in the barn, and she swiped a hand across her brow to wipe away the beads of sweat that had formed. “Hopefully it will cool things off a few degrees.”

Glancing back at her girlfriend, Waverly smiled affectionately as Nicole, dressed in jeans, a white T-shirt and open red and black plaid shirt, got back to shifting bales of hay for Curtis. “You could take off your shirt, honey. Having so many layers on can’t be good for you.”

“You like me in this shirt.”

Before Waverly could respond there was another flash lightning.

“We can make a run for the house if you want?” As the words left her mouth, the foreboding black clouds that had swiftly rolled across the sky started releasing their loads, a heavy downpour making hearing each other difficult as fat continuous raindrops battered the roof and sides of the barn. “Or not,” she finished with a frown. Walking over to Waverly, Nicole looked out at the cascade.

“Summer storms are the worst,” Waverly murmured, snuggling against her taller girlfriend’s side. “Blue skies and sunshine, then you’re getting rained on.”

Curtis stepped out on his back porch and appeared to be shouting something at them, something they had no chance of hearing. Realising they couldn’t hear him, he mimed out, “Are you okay?”

“WE’RE FINE,” Nicole yelled at the top of her lungs.

Rolling her eyes, Waverly indicated the two of them then made the okay symbol with her fingers. “There are times when I wonder how you’re ever going to graduate, babe.”

“He might have heard me. I yelled loud enough.”

“Did you hear him?”

“Not the point,” the redhead pouted.

On the back porch, Curtis was acting out another scene, looking at the sky and looking scared before running on the spot and pointing at the house.

Nicole laughed. “I think he’s saying we should run for the house if we get scared.”

Smiling adoringly at her uncle, Waverly nodded in agreement with the explanation. Another okay symbol and a quick wave, she watched him disappear back inside the house. “Guess it’s just us then,” she said, just as another flash of lightning lit up the sky.

Grinning at her girlfriend, Nicole turned to face Waverly and wrapped her arms around her slim waist. “Whatever will we do to pass the time, Miss Earp?”

“I’m sure we’ll think of something, Miss Haught.” Taking Nicole’s hand, she walked away from the open hay loft door and headed farther back into the loft wanting complete privacy for what she hoped might happen between them. Ever since their first heavy make-out session, she found herself getting turned on by the strangest of things, like Nicole going through her warm-up routine before a basketball game, Nicole helping Curtis work his land, Nicole drinking from a glass.

“You’ve gone very red, babe. Are you all right? We can go back to the house if you’re really scared.”

“Not scared. Distracted by sexy thoughts of you,” Waverly replied. “Tell me again about us leaving Purgatory.”

Smiling like the lovesick puppy she was, Nicole sat, taking Waverly down with her to the hay covered floor. “The day you graduate from college we’re going to jump in my truck and take off.”

“You think the old girl will last that long?”

“Of course she will. Hasn’t let me down yet.”

“Where will we go?” Waverly asked with a smile, head settling on Nicole’s shoulder.

“Wherever your heart desires.”

“To the beach?”

“To paddle in the sea and collect colourful shells,” Nicole nodded.

“To the airport?”

“To catch a plane to Europe.”

“Where in Europe?” Waverly’s hand slipped beneath Nicole’s T-shirt, fingers dancing lightly over the heated skin she found there.

“To England so you can tell me about the history of royalty, to Spain to eat tapas, to Italy to see the ancient architecture and ride in a gondola,” Nicole listed. They were young and in love and anything was possible.

“I can’t wait,” Waverly murmured. “To be free of Purgatory, you by my side, sharing my bed. I… I think about it a lot.”

“Oh, do you now?” Nicole teased. Seeing Waverly was embarrassed by the confession, she lifted her chin with a fingertip. “So do I.”

Waverly moved to straddled Nicole’s hips. “What do you think about?” she asked softly, the tip of her nose brushing against Nicole’s teasingly.

“You and me in a big king-size bed, open balcony doors letting in the sounds of the ocean.”

“Are we sleeping in this bed?” Her fingers ran over the soft, delicate skin of Nicole’s jaw, fingertips dancing down her throat to her collarbone.

“No,” Nicole breathed, her own hands settling on Waverly’s shorts-covered hips.

“What are we doing?” Lifting one of Nicole’s hands, Waverly gently rubbed her thumb over the back of it. “So soft,” she murmured. Lifting the hand to her lips, her eyes locked onto soft brown, she slowly and deliberately kissed each fingertip, before turning the hand over and kissing the palm. “Were we kissing, Nicole?”

Swallowing hard, Nicole nodded.

Releasing Nicole’s hand, Waverly bent to capture the reclining girl’s lips. Her tongue swiped out to trace along a delectable bottom lip and as Nicole parted her lips, she slipped her tongue inside to explore the depths now revealed to her.

This wasn’t their first kiss. Not even their second or third. But kissing Nicole seriously for the first time had been a revelation to Waverly. It had made everything click into place because it felt so right. Waverly had realised what had been missing when she had done the same thing with Perry Croft.

Sitting up with a shy smile, Waverly grasped the ends of the shirt she had stolen from Nicole at the beginning of summer and lifted it up and off. “Nicole.”

“Mm?” Smiling adoringly, Nicole ran her hands up Waverly’s sides.

“I want to know what it’s like to be with the most beautiful girl in Purgatory.”

“You’re the most beautiful girl in Purgatory, Waves.” Nicole cupped her girlfriend’s cheek and delicately ran her thumb over the lips she longed for.

Kissing the thumb, Waverly exhaled tremulously as she leaned back and reached behind herself to remove her bra.

“Wait, Waves. Are you sure?”

“I’ve never been surer of anything in my life,” Waverly breathed.

Licking her lips nervously as she sat up, Nicole tenderly cupped Waverly’s breast, drawing a gasp from the younger girl. She reclaimed soft lips, determined to take this slowly, to do things they had already done before venturing further, into the unknown.

“You’re wearing too many clothes,” Waverly breathed against the lips that covered her own. She giggled as Nicole released her breast but not her lips and wrestled herself free of her plaid shirt. Her T-shirt was another matter entirely and reluctantly they parted if only for the briefest of moments. Rolling off Nicole, Waverly wiggled out of her shorts and underwear, while Nicole stripped like her clothes were on fire.

Naked for the first time in front of each other, there was no fear, no embarrassment, only wonder and love as eager eyes took in the bounty before them.

“I want this so much,” Waverly clarified, laying back. She was on fire, her excitement of what was to come making her slick with want.

“So do I,” Nicole confirmed, moving to cover her girlfriend’s body.

Waverly gasped at the feel of a strong thigh slipping between her parted thighs, and again as Nicole’s sex settled against her own. She could feel the redhead’s breath against her face, her body heat just as hot as her name.

“Waverly. My Waverly.”

Smiling adoringly, Waverly cupped the back of Nicole’s neck, drawing her down. “Yes, your Waverly. Always your Waverly.”

The crackle of Nedley’s radio brought Waverly back to the present, back to sitting in the patrol car hurrying towards the hospital, back to the swish-swash of windscreen wipers. She listened to the voices as they passed on information as the hunt for Wynonna continued. If she hadn’t been so wrapped up in concern for Nicole, she would have been amused that the very people who hated Wynonna and had done their best to drive her away were now out looking for her.

“She’s okay, isn’t she, Sheriff?” Waverly asked of Nicole, not for the first time.

Glancing at the youngest Earp and meeting worry-filled hazel eyes, Nedley smiled as confidently as he could manage. “Of course she is.” He’d given up telling her he knew as much as she did, realising she just needed reassuring. Until she saw Nicole with her own two eyes, nothing anyone said would make a difference.

As the patrol car swung into the hospital car park, Waverly barely gave Nedley time to stop before she was out of the car and running into the hospital. “Nicole Haught!” she shouted desperately at the two nurses at the front desk. “Deputy Haught. Where is she? Is she okay? She didn’t… die, did she?”

“I’m sorry—”

“She’s here with me, Gretta” Nedley huffed as he hustled up to the desk. He scowled at Waverly. “You could have ended up in here right beside Nicole jumping out the car like that.”

“Sorry. I’m sorry, I just—”

“I know,” he placated, offering a pat to the shoulder.

“Your deputy was brought in unconscious, Sheriff,” Gretta Perley informed him. “EMTs had to resuscitate at the roadside. Her doctor is worried about hyperthermia because we’re not sure how long she was lying out there. I’ll page him and get him to come and talk to you.”

Fifteen minutes later, Waverly was standing at Nicole’s bedside, staring at the deathly pale redhead, while Nedley and Dolls talked to her doctor. Nicole was hooked up to a heart monitor and was being given warm fluids straight into a vein to help warm her body up. Tears stinging her eyes, Waverly reached out and gently touched Nicole’s hand, a sob breaking free and joining the steady beep, beep, beep of the heart monitor.

Walking into the room, Nedley felt rage building within him as he saw his best young deputy lying unmoving in the hospital bed. “We’re going to catch whoever did this, Waverly,” he promised. “We’re going to find Wynonna and we’re going to catch and punish him for what he’s done.”

“I know you will, Sheriff.” She wasn’t so sure. If Dolls had been on this case across a number of states and not got close to finding the killer, how could the townsfolk of Purgatory do what he hadn’t been able to?

“I know, um… I know you two are, um—” he trailed off, not entirely sure what they were to each other. “But, procedure says I have to call her next of kin.”

Waverly looked at him in confusion. “She doesn’t speak to her parents.”

Nicole’s parents were keen to experience all life had to offer and not overly bothered with being tied down to raise a child. When Nicole had been a girl, they had thought nothing of leaving her home alone while they ventured off for a week or two. It was why Nicole had spent so much time in the company of the Earp sisters.

“Neither did I,” Nedley confessed.

Waverly blinked at him. “What do you mean? Who’s her next of kin then?”

Which was when Shea appeared in the open doorway.


	16. Chapter 16

**I** nhaling deeply to steady her nerves and control her fear, Wynonna met Reggie’s intense stare and was again freaked out by the lack of emotion within his eyes. “So, you’re like a real doctor?”

Pleased that she seemed to have calmed down, Reggie smiled and nodded. “Morgue duty is just part of our rotation.”

“And you chose to practice here in Purgatory?”

“Lucky for you.”

“Yeah.” She forced a smile. “And uh, which hospital is this? I’ve been to the city hospital more times than I care to remember and I don’t think it’s ever been this quiet. And, can’t say I’ve seen a single nurse or orderly.”

Reggie offered her a tight-lipped smile. “It’s okay to feel nervous before surgery, Wynonna.”

“Yeah, about that, I don’t want the surgery. I want to wait for my sister. She’s the brains of the family.”

Flashing his pen light in her eyes, Reggie frowned at what he saw. “How are you feeling?” he asked suspiciously.

Realising her pupils wouldn’t be dilated from where she had pinched the IV tube to stop the drugs he was giving her, Wynonna smiled her best smile at him and lied her arse off. “Floaty. Your drugs are hella dope, Reg-man. Sign me a prescription?”

Not looking entirely convinced, Reggie nonetheless turned off the torch and slipped it back into his coat pocket. He moved to the end of the bed and took a scalpel out of his pocket, as he swept aside the blanket that covered her. “Tell me if you feel any pain.” With great delight, he grabbed her foot and jabbed the pointed end into the bottom of her foot, watching her intently, expecting a reaction and disappointed when one didn’t come.

“Nope, nothing,” she told him calmly. “Is that bad? That’s bad, right?” She wanted to kick him in the crown jewels, she wanted to scream bloody murder, instead, she remained calm and ignored the pain.

Disappointed by the lack of reaction, positive she had been faking her happy high, he released her foot and covered her back up. “I need to ask you some questions about your personal history, Wynonna.”

“Cut the bullshit. This isn’t a real hospital, you’re not a real doctor, which means I don’t have to tell you shit.”

“You’re awfully lucid.” He moved to check the IV tubing. “And mouthy for a girl who recently found out she may never walk again.”

“It’s the drugs you’ve got me on. They’re messing with my emotions.” Wynonna watched him closely, needing him to get close enough for her to be able to steal the scalpel he had slipped into his jacket pocket. See how he liked it when she jabbed him somewhere soft and painful.

He didn’t believe her, even when he found the IV tube still attached to her arm and no apparent holes in the tubing. “It’s very important to have a healthy and open patient-doctor dialogue, Wynonna. I’m going to be getting up close and personal with you. In fact, I should up your meds. Some people take longer than others to react to certain drugs, but I really do need to get you into surgery as soon as possible.”

“We should call my family as soon as possible,” Wynonna countered. “I… I need to talk to my sister. I need to tell her about Nicole.”

Seeing he had a bargaining chip, he smiled again. “Answer my questions and I’ll see about getting you a phone.”

*** * * * ***

“Shea. Hi. How are you?” Waverly shifted, suddenly unsure of herself. She folded her arms, unfolded them, stuck her hands in her pockets, then took them back out.

“I’m okay. Better than Nicole.” Shea moved towards Nicole’s bed. “What happened?”

“I don’t know. Nobody knows exactly, but she’s been working on a case and it might have something to do with that.” Hazel eyes watched Shea gently take Nicole’s hand and she fought the urge to swat her away. Her heart felt like it was being squeezed in a vice as she saw the love the doctor still had for Nicole.

“The sheriff called me,” Shea admitted. “Told me she had been brought in. I guess… I guess she hasn’t gotten around to changing her forms yet.” Brown eyes lifted to meet Waverly’s gaze. “Are you two…?”

“No,” Waverly shook her head. “We’re not together. I was um… I was at the station when news came in about Nicole being found.” Her fingertips just brushed the back of Nicole’s hand, mindful of the tubing taped in place. “My sister’s missing.”

“Wynonna? God, I’m sorry.”

“She’ll be fine,” Waverly smiled a little too brightly, almost confident in what she believed. “If there’s one thing Wynonna’s good at it’s getting herself out of trouble.”

“I hope you find her,” Shea said sincerely. “I don’t know her well, but she means a lot to Nicole. And she always made me laugh when she turned up in our lives.”

Silence fell and they busied themselves with staring at the sleeping, oblivious Nicole. Waverly watched as Shea picked up the redhead’s chart and read through it, wondering what it said and if it detailed more than what the doctor had told her.

“I didn’t realise you were still working here.” Filled with a nervous energy, Waverly stuffed her hands into her pockets again.

“I was going to transfer out, but decided to stay close until everything is finalised between me and Nic. We haven’t said the word divorce yet, but when we do things will be easier if I’m not halfway across the country.” Shea smiled, not bitter in the slightest. “She really loves you, Waverly.”

Touched by the sincerity in Shea’s tone, Waverly smiled and reached out to take Nicole’s hand. “I really love her. I haven’t had the time to tell her yet.” The tears came back, the sick feeling in her belly returning. “And now this. I could have lost her forever and she would never have known how I really feel.”

“She knows,” Shea assured the younger woman. “Just as you know how deeply she cares for you.” She looked at Nicole’s peaceful face. “Neither of you might have said the words out loud, but sometimes… sometimes words aren’t needed.”

Peering into the room where Nicole Haught lay sleeping, Dolls wondered why their man hadn’t killed her. It was sloppy to leave a witness. “Any word on when she’ll wake up?” he directed at Nedley.

“No.”

“I’m going to need access.”

“You’ll have it,” Nedley nodded. “On two conditions.”

Exhaling through his nose as he fought the urge to tell the sheriff he had jurisdiction if he wanted to pull rank, Dolls instead nodded. He needed people on his side if they were going to see this through. “All right, name them.”

“If her doctor says she needs a break, you high-tail it and let her be.” Nedley moved a step closer and looked past Dolls to Waverly. “And second, if Wynonna’s—” He hesitated, not wanting to say the word.

“Dead?” Dolls had no such qualms.

“We don’t tell Waverly until we know for sure.”

“Done.” Dolls didn’t let many people get closer, but there was something about Waverly that had allowed the young woman to tug at his heartstrings. “But, remember, Sheriff, your deputy is our only witness. The only one who can help us get a bead on Wynonna. I need to question her before her memory becomes more clouded than it already will be.”

Nedley knew the truth in that. “Well, until she wakes up, there’s nothing either of us can do.”

*** * * * ***

“Out of curiosity, where did you get educated?” Wynonna asked.

“Princeton Medical School,” he said proudly. “Now, I’m actually pioneering a radical new procedure at this hospital.”

“One that requires the removal of someone’s head?”

He blinked rapidly at her, then smiled in an entirely too creepy way. “Certain areas of emotion cause a patient to be irrational. They… commit a crime, they sin, they think nothing of it. I can shut those areas down, remove them, all they need to do is repent and be cleansed in order to be reborn.”

“Why did you steal Megan’s body?”

“Who?” The name meant nothing, but then he recalled who she was asking of. “Oh, right, the suburban murderer. Do you know, she got behind the wheel of a car she couldn’t drive and killed a man. Took him away from his family, devastated his family. And do you know what she did, Wynonna? She kept quiet. Despite the police asking for helping in solving the crime, despite the family suffering, she lived her life, not once stopping to think about them. She let them live with the grief, the unanswered questions, the not knowing who had done it and if they would strike again.”

“She tried to apologise.”

“She tried, yes,” Reggie smiled. “Pleading and begging, wailing for mercy. But did she mean any of it? Or was it simply because I told her I would cut out her heart if she didn’t repent?” He shrugged. “Doesn’t matter. Some sins cannot be forgiven and Megan died without ever finding peace.”

Wynonna shook her head. “You’re not a doctor. You’re a killer.”

“I will go down in history as one of the greatest doctor’s to have ever lived!”

“Princeton doesn’t have a medical school, dick-wad.”

A flash of anger crossed his features and he stood up straight and very stiff. “You know, people think that all it takes to become a doctor is brains.” He shook his head as he started backing away from the bed. “No, no, no. A real doctor...” his hands went to his chest, “...pushes the boundaries. A real doctor does things that others find distasteful for the sake of progress.”

“You’re crazy.”

“Take a look at yourself, Wynonna,” he said gleefully. “You have been a very, very, bad girl.” He stepped up to the bed again and reached out to tenderly brush a hand through her hair. “But it’s not your fault, is it?” he said softly. “Breaking the law, abandoning your sisters, swearing, drinking, burglary, bank robbery. No! There is something very wrong deep inside of you.” He nodded to himself. “But don’t you worry, Wynonna. We’re going to find it and cut it right out. You, Wynonna Earp, are going to be my pièce de résistance!” Grinning manically, he backed away again. “Off to prep an O.R. for you. Back in a jiff.”

She watched him walk out of the room, listened as he started whistling, and felt her heart sink. She really, really hoped Nicole and Nedley and even stupid sexy Dolls were out there looking for her.

*** * * * ***

Waverly felt sick with worry as she stood at the window in Nicole’s room, staring out but not seeing the still falling rain. Shea had left half an hour ago and Nicole still hadn’t woken, her doctor murmuring something about the possibility of head trauma. And meanwhile Wynonna was still out there somewhere, being held hostage by a madman, or worse, maybe she was—

“Mm, Waverly.”

Startled by the voice, Waverly spun around and blinked as she saw Nicole shifting in bed, her eyes still closed, but her features scrunched up in discomfort. “Oh, my God, Nicole!” Rushing over, she grasped Nicole’s hand and waited to see if beautiful brown eyes would open. As they did, she burst into tears, laughing in pure joy. “Nicole! You’re okay. You’re really okay.”

Smiling up serenely at the angel beside her, Nicole wasn’t sure if the image was real or not. “Waverly,” she murmured again, reaching up to try and touch the vision. “My Waverly.”

“Yes.” Waverly covered the hand on her cheek with her own. “Your Waverly.”

Working out she wasn’t dreaming, that Waverly genuinely was standing beside her bed, Nicole frowned as she tried to work out the puzzle. “Why are you here?” She looked around and didn’t see her bedroom but a hospital room. “Why am I here? What’s going on?”

“I have to go and get a nurse, they all think you have head trauma. I’ll explain everything in a minute okay?” She kissed Nicole’s hand in relief and ran from the room before the redhead could stop her, returning swiftly with a nurse, Nicole’s doctor, and Nedley.

“What happened?” Nicole asked, needing answers. “Where’s Wynonna?”

“Let the doctor check you over, Deputy,” Nedley said gruffly, eyes giving away his relief that she was awake and seemingly okay. “Once he says you’re okay enough to talk, we’ll talk.”

Asking questions and checking Nicole over for anything they might have missed, the doctor eventually left with the caution of not overexerting her, that rest was important in her recovery.

Sitting next to the bed, Waverly had a death grip on Nicole’s hand as she filled her in with everything they knew.

“Agent Dolls wants a word,” Nedley said once Waverly was finished. “He’s quite insistent. But I can hold him off if you want.”

“It’s okay, Sheriff. I’m good,” Nicole nodded. “I want to help.”

“You’re not good. You died, Nicole,” Nedley replied. “You go and die on me and I’ve got to deputise someone like Champ Hardy!” Blue eyes flicked to Waverly, an apologetic look on his face. “Sorry.”

Smiling, Waverly waved off the apology, more than aware of how incompetent her soon to be ex-husband was. He had failed the preliminary police exam a number of times after all. “Can you buy us a minute, Sheriff?” she asked.

“I’ll do my best.” He looked at Nicole. “I’ll swing by your place and make sure that cat of yours is fed.”

“Oh. She uh doesn’t really like men.” The new addition to her household was quite the little princess.

“Well, who does?” Nedley replied deadpan, before nodding at her and taking his leave.

“I could have lost you,” Waverly said quietly, it hitting home how true that was all of sudden.

“I’m sorry.”

“No, it’s not even your fault. It’s whoever this guy is. He could have taken you away before I even got to tell you that I—”

Dolls stepped into the room, pulling out his notepad and pen. “This is John Henry Holliday, Deputy Haught. He’s going to be helping me with this case while you’re—” His pen wiggled at the bed to indicate her current predicament.

“So, he’s no longer a suspect?” Nicole asked.

“No.” Dolls didn’t sound happy about that in the slightest. “Turns out our killer murdered a woman he was keen on and ever since Mr. Holliday has been pursuing him. So, what was the last thing you saw?”

“Waverly Earp waving at me from behind the counter at Shorty’s.” She frowned as she finished speaking because that couldn’t be right. That had been in the afternoon. “No. It was later. You left us at the Novak house to check it out. We were on our way back to the station when… there was a man,” she recalled. “He stepped on to the road and flagged us down.”

“Description?”

She tried to think, tried to remember her training that had taught her how to remember these sorts of details, but came up blank. She shook her head in frustration. “No. Blank on that.”

“You’re sure it was a man though?” Dolls questioned.

And that made Nicole’s frown deepen. Was it a man? Or was she just creating memories because she was so desperate to help. “I was driving and Wynonna… Wynonna was talking about the pros and cons of hot dog stuffed-crust pizzas verses tomato sauce stuffed-crust.”

“Sounds like Wynonna,” Waverly scoffed, smiling fondly. “Always thinking about food.”

“I was arguing for the good old cheese stuffed crust when she pointed out someone flagging us down.” Nicole nodded, sure of herself now. “It was definitely a man.”

“Okay,” Dolls breathed, relieved he finally had something useful. “A man flagged you down and you stopped, then?”

And again she had nothing. “I don’t… I’ve got nothing, until… the woods.”

Dolls frowned. “You were in the woods? How did you get there?” He wondered if they had been drugged.

“I was blindfolded, I think. Or just really drugged and… someone was carrying me.” Tears of frustration swelled in her eyes. “Next thing I know I’m freezing cold, covered in dirt in a ditch on the side of the road.”

“How did you get back to the road?” Waverly asked in confusion.

“What about Wynonna?” Dolls asked. “Do you remember anything about Wynonna?”

Nicole shook her head. “I couldn’t see anything.”

“Sight ain’t your only sense, Deputy,” John Henry spoke up for the first time. “What did he smell like?”

“What? I don’t—”

“Close your eyes and take in a deep breath, let the memories come. He was carrying you, so you were close enough to pick up the smell of him.”

She could do this. She was trained for this. Brown eyes closed and she tried to recall the details, the little details that could be relevant. “I could smell the trees, the crisp air and… something sour. Musty.”

“Like death?” John Henry asked.

“No. Spoiled fruit and… gasoline.” She remembered something else. “He kicked me.”

“What?” Waverly gasped.

“I couldn’t figure out why my chest was hurting so bad,” Nicole said, rubbing absent-mindedly at her chest. “He said I had to wait my turn. Wynonna was first.” Brown eyes flicked to Waverly, seeing she was on the brink of tears. She squeezed the hand that held her own. “Waverly, I’m so sorry.”

“No, it’s fine.” She squeezed Nicole’s hand back. “I’m glad you’re okay.”

“Wynonna was first?” John Henry queried. “So, he has a list?”

“A witness told us he had informed her Wynonna was next,” Dolls told him. He put his notepad away. “I sent your uniform for tests, Deputy,” he directed at Nicole. “Hopefully that will give us something to go on.”

*** * * * ***

Wynonna almost cried with relief as she watched her big toe wiggle slightly. The drugs Reggie had given her were wearing off slowly but surely, she just had to stall for a little while longer, then she could make her escape. Screw the rescue team, she was no damsel in distress.

Hearing whistling, she realised Reggie was coming back and knew that whatever he had planned for her was probably about to take place.

“So, Wynonna, are we ready?” Reggie asked cheerfully as he stepped inside the room. “The O.R. is ready and waiting.”

“I’m not ready. You promised me a phone call.”

“I didn’t promise that.”

“I can’t have surgery without talking to my sister,” Wynonna insisted. “Something could go wrong, right? It’s surgery and things can go wrong. I don’t want to die without having spoken to my sister, to tell her… everything important I should have said but kept putting off.”

Interested, Reggie stepped closer. “Like?”

He likes people to repent, Wynonna thought. “Like… how I shouldn’t have skipped town without her. I shouldn’t have left her behind with no word of goodbye and at the very least sent her a postcard or two. I shouldn’t have let her marry Champ. I should have been a better person for my aunt and uncle. Please give me the chance to make things right, Reggie.”

“You know,” Reggie started, grabbing a chair and dragging it loudly across the room to the bed. “Your reputation proceeds you, Wynonna.” He sat down and crossed his legs, hands clasping his kneecap. “I heard stories about you long before I got to Purgatory.” He chuckled lightly. “Long before I even knew Purgatory existed.” His eyes intensified as they bore into her. “Pur-gat-ory,” he said slowly. “A fitting name for the amount of sinners here. A sinner like you.”

“You came to find me?”

“You, Wynonna, are the ultimate of sinners. A criminal, a wanted criminal, a whore, a killer, a disappointment to not only your family but the whole town. I heard talk of you and I knew.” He nodded. “I knew you would be the ultimate prize. But I couldn’t just waltz into town and do it, could I? No. I had to make it special, meaningful. And first I had to get your attention.”

“So you killed my uncle?” Tears swelled in her eyes at the thought of her beloved uncle being murdered by this maniac. “He never hurt anyone in his whole life. He was one of the good ones.”

“Yes, but it was his death that brought you home,” Reggie confided.

“And Megan? What did she ever do to you?”

His eyes were unfocused as he recalled the memory. “We went out to dinner. She was awfully keen once she found out I was a doctor. She was a terrible date, had a few too many glasses of wine, so I thought it would be funny to slip her some sodium pentothal, or truth serum, if you prefer. I could never have imagined she was hiding the deepest, darkest of secrets, but out it came.” He smiled in amusement. “All the sordid little details about her boyfriend cheating on her, getting behind the wheel of a car she couldn’t drive and killing a man, not just any man, but the father of one of her closest friends, and how she kept quiet about it.”

“You’re sick.”

Refocusing, he looked into Wynonna’s eyes, one side of his lip curling up into a sneer. “Do you know the most delicious detail?” He didn’t wait for an answer. “It was because of you, Wynonna! You drove her to it.” He pulled a face. “Perhaps that’s a poor choice of wording.”

“And Jay?”

“Ah, yes, Jay Novak. Your charming probation officer. Should have been putting you back on the right path and instead he had you running drugs for him. And let’s not forget his wife, Suzie, who sold you out to save his worthless behind.”

“You called me a sinner, but you’re the biggest sinner of us all, Reggie. You’re nothing more than a serial killer, killing people for your own amusement, you’re not doing God’s work—”

Reggie stood up and shoved the chair away from himself. “I am saving them!” he yelled at her. “There is something, something deep down inside of them that makes them bad. I,” he jabbed a thumb into his own chest, “set them free.”

*** * * * ***

Dolls approached the trio standing outside Nicole Haught’s private room, noting the glare Waverly shot at him. Deserved, he thought. He had, after all, given her the impression he didn’t care about rescuing her sister. “Initial tests came back from Nicole’s uniform,” he announced, holding up a sheet of paper.

“How did you get it done so fast?”Nedley asked.

“I told you, I have a good team behind me and they made sure it was rushed through.” He looked down at the paper again, rereading what he had already read twice. “There were traces of ethyl alcohol.”

“The gasoline smell Nicole remembered,” Waverly spoke up.

Dolls nodded. “A common by-product of chemical manufacture. Like designer drugs and certain types of explosives.”

“Sour fruit,” John Henry recalled.

Dolls glared at him. “Excuse me?”

“Officer Haught said she smelled sour fruit. As in fermented fruit.”

“Liquor,” Waverly said, putting two and two together.

“Ethyl isn’t in liquor,” Dolls told them patiently, if not a little dismissively.

“You have obviously never had yourself any moonshine,” John Henry told him smugly.

And like a lightbulb lighting up, Waverly realised where Wynonna might be. “John Henry, you’re a genius!” she announced excitedly.

“Let’s not get carried away,” Dolls grumbled, hating the rogue a little more.

Waverly ignored him and launched into her explanation. “I think I know where Wynonna is. Late in the 1930s, Purgatory got itself a new sewage system. Construction crew hit what they thought was a sinkhole, but what they actually found was a series of tunnels used during prohibition to smuggle liquor across the border.”

“So, our killer went from using caves to using underground tunnels?” John Henry asked in confusion.

“Plenty of space, plenty of privacy.”

“Do you know the location of these tunnels?” Dolls asked Waverly, a buzz of excitement rushing through him. He was close, so close, to catching this guy now. And if he could save the girl — well, that would be icing on his cupcake.

“No, the town decided to just seal them up. But, I think I have an idea about who might know where they are. There’s a one-time saloon owner named James Byers, allegedly a corrupt saloon owner—”

“We’ve never been able to pin anything on him,” Nedley said defensively.

“There have been whispers for years that he uses the tunnels to run illegal goods back and forth across the border.”

“How do you know all this?” Nedley asked her.

“I work in a bar, I hear a lot of drunken gossip. You should really consider putting me on your payroll as an informant.”

“James Byers,” John Henry repeated, puzzling over the name. “Ah, hell!”

They all looked at him, Dolls the most unimpressed. “Let me guess,” he said sarcastically. “You know him?”

“I know him,” John Henry confirmed. “Runs an operation in town.”

“What kind of operation?”

“The best kind, highly illegal,” John Henry smiled charmingly. “You want illegal goods, go see Jimmy. You want high-stakes gaming, go see Jimmy. Need a loan no questions asked, Jimmy will sort you out.”

Dolls shifted closer, body tense, tone low and dangerous as he said, “You’re gonna take me to see this Jimmy so we can have a little chat with him.”

John Henry shifted his weight, unsettled by the close proximity of the agent. “First rule about Jimmy’s place is you never ever take the law.”

Waverly gently touched his arm, eyes pleading. “Please, John Henry. If he can give us access to the tunnels, we can save Wynonna.”

Inhaling deeply, he nodded as he exhaled. “Well, all right.” He looked at Dolls. “I’ll take you, but please try and not give away the fact you are an officer of the law. Maybe… relax a little. Be less intense.”

“I’m perfectly capable of blending in.” Dolls was the only one convinced of that.

*** * * * ***

Sheriff Nedley agreed to let the two men take the lead on tracking down James Byers, because he was well known throughout town as the sheriff. And Waverly reluctantly agreed to stay behind to sit with Nicole on the off chance she remembered anything else.

Climbing out of his SUV, Dolls looked at the nondescript building in front of him. It was the perfect place to run illegal goings on, there were no nearby neighbours to witness the comings and goings, and no main road bringing traffic past. He made a mental note to pass this information on to ATF.

“Did you even try to not look like an officer of the law?” John Henry asked, eyeing what Dolls was wearing.

“What is wrong with what I’m wearing?”

“What is right with it? You simply look like an off-duty officer.” He rolled his shoulders. “Loosen up, Dolls. Pretend you don’t have a care in the world.”

Dolls glared. “Let’s just do this, shall we?”

John Henry led the way, tipping his hat politely to a few people lingering outside. They all eyed Dolls suspiciously, who had changed out of his suit and into jeans and a shirt, but still stuck out like a sore thumb.

Inside was a hive of activity, tables and chairs were jam-packed with those just there to enjoy a drink or two, scantily dressed waitresses tottered around on high heels balancing silver trays on one palm, and behind the bar a barman was tying to impress those in front of him by twirling and throwing a cocktail shaker. Beyond the drinking area, was the gambling area, roulette wheels, crap tables, and poker games taking place. And over on the far right was a little arena for chicken and cockerel fighting, feathers flying as grown men cheered loudly.

“Well, well, well, look who the cat dragged in,” a booming voice said from behind the two men.

Turning, John Henry nodded in greeting. “Whiskey Jim.”

“Doc Holliday.”

“Doc?” Dolls questioned.

“I am a qualified dentist.”

“You being here means one of two things,” Jim said. “Either you got my ten thousand, or you’ve got a death wish.”

“Of course you owe him money,” Dolls rolled his eyes.

“Did I forget to mention that?”

“Listen.” Brown eyes settled on the barrel-chested Whiskey Jim. “This idiot doesn’t have your money. In fact, he’s under arrest for running up tabs all around town. But I can get you your money.” Dolls smiled, nothing friendly about it. “All in exchange for some information. Is there a place we can talk, Jimbo?”

“A bloody cop!” James, known to his friends as Jimmy or Jim, glared at Doc. “You brought a cop here? Rule number one, moron!”

“I know, I know,” Doc put his hands up to placate the other man. “Usually I would be all for your strict rules, but this is of the utmost importance. The fiend with a taste for young doves has Wynonna Earp, older sister of the delightful young Waverly.”

“We need the entrance to your tunnels,” Dolls interrupted. “That’s it.”

Jimmy looked between the two men, debating his options. “Let’s say I was willing to help you,” he said slowly. “Those tunnels are of no use to you or anyone. Nobody knows how to find them.”

“Say somebody does,” Doc said. “That somebody being a man with a collection of very sharp knives.”

“How do I know you’re telling the truth? Maybe you’re making all this up just so I give up the location.” He glared at Dolls. “Him being law and all.”

“Look,” Dolls stepped forward and got up in Whiskey Jim’s face. “Tell us where the tunnels are and we’ll be on our way.”

“This is my establishment and I do the asking. He,” he pointed at Doc, “owes me. And you, Officer, are one man in a building filled with all manner of unsavoury characters who will do whatever they have to in order to flee.”

Realising the truth in that, Dolls backed up a step and smiled big and bright. “We’re all businessmen here. Can’t we come to some sort of arrangement?”

“What’s in it for me?”

“Tell me what I want to know and I won’t make a call to ATF right now and have you raided and shut down. Money lost, stock seized, you and your… clientele in handcuffs.”

Knowing he was well and truly in a corner, Whiskey Jim huffed out a breath. “Access to the tunnels it is then. But I want it kept quiet that I helped you.”


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to thank all of you who have read this and shared kudos and comments along the way, your patience and enthusiasm and genuine kindness and humour encouraged me every chapter. Until next time....

**R** eady to perform his final masterpiece on the truly fascinating Wynonna Earp, Reggie began singing Frank Sinatra’s “My Way” which, for reasons he wasn’t sure of, had popped into his head, as he headed back to the room where Wynonna was. “And more, much more than this. I did it—” He stopped dead in his tracks as he reached the open doorway, blinking once, then again, as he was confronted with an empty bed. “Damn that bitch for not playing her part properly!”

Spinning on his heel, he made his way back down the tunnel he had just walked. “WY-NON-NA!” he singsonged, getting the feeling he was going to enjoy this new game.

Dressed only in a flimsy hospital gown, Wynonna tried not to shiver as she made her way slowly along a cool tunnel, her bare feet soft on the dirt, ears tuned for the slightest sound, eyes alert for any shadow of movement. The drugs had finally worn off for her to be able to get up and make a move, the only trouble now was she had no idea where she was or how to get out.

“WY-NON-NA!”

She glanced back. That had sounded closer, but had it come from behind her or in front of her?

“Isn’t this fun, Wynonna? Are you having fun?” Reggie called out. “I’ve never had a patient run on me before. You are quite the clever little sinner, aren’t you?”

Thinking she had seen movement, Wynonna ducked behind a couple of old casks. _I’m not in Shorty’s basement, not in a basement at all, but I’m surrounded by beer casks and aged oak whiskey casks, so… a storage warehouse maybe?_ She tenderly rubbed her fingertips over the wooden whiskey cask, wishing she had time to pour herself some liquid courage. _Wish I’d thought to ask Waves where she got her booze from_.

“I think in the next town I go to, I’ll use this game as foreplay,” Reggie said. “Have my prey run for me. It’s all rather exhilarating!”

He was definitely closer, but Wynonna didn’t want to remain hidden where she was, couldn’t remain where she was because once he appeared she’d be trapped with no obvious escape route. She needed to keep moving, needed to stay ahead of him and hopefully find a door or a staircase, something useful.

“There won’t be a next time, dick-wad,” she murmured, a soft promise to stop Reggie no matter what. She gasped as a strong hand grabbed her.

“I wouldn’t be so sure of that,” Reggie growled, plunging the needle into her neck and holding her tightly until she succumbed to the sedative.

*** * * * ***

“Are you sure this is the right place?” Doc asked Dolls as he looked around. “It appears to be locked up tighter than a chastity belt.”

“This is the location Whiskey Jim indicated. Just because there’s a padlock on the door doesn’t mean there isn’t another way in. Appearances aren’t everything.” Dolls eyeballed they cowboy, still amused by the style choices of the other man.

“Well, how do you suggest we go about getting in without alerting the killer to our presence?”

“Bolt cutters.” Dolls moved to the rear of his SUV and opened the boot to find the tool he wanted. “I wish we had time to wait for back-up. There’s no telling how far these tunnels go or how many different paths there are.”

Doc shook his head. “No time, Agent Dolls. Our boy is not the kind to wait around twiddling his thumbs. If we want any hope of saving Wynonna, we best head in now.”

“Right,” Dolls nodded. Hefting the bolt cutters up onto his shoulder, he slammed the boot shut and walked towards the boarded up entrance. “All right, let’s do this.”

*** * * * ***

Slowly awakening from her drug fuelled nap, Wynonna realised two things at once. One, she hadn’t managed to escape, and two, she was now tied down to an operating table. “Fuckkkk,” she drawled out, the sensation that her tongue had turned into cotton wool making her cringe.

“Awake at last.” Reggie was suddenly smiling down at her. “Good. It’s always more fun when they’re awake.”

She could move her wrists and fingers but not enough to be able to free herself. “You know, you don’t have to cut me open, Reggie. You can use me as a bargaining chip. You’ve kidnapped one of Purgatory’s finest and they’re gonna be super pissed, but if you give me back to them, I’ll talk them into letting you escape town.”

“Ah,” he wiggled his index finger at her. “That’s the thing, isn’t it? You’re not actually one of Purgatory’s finest. You’re not a deputy like your good friend Nicole, are you? You’re not even a desk jockey. No. You’ve been given a fictional role in order to keep you out of trouble. Yes?”

The comment hurt more than she cared to admit. “That’s not true. Nicole and I are partners, we work together to track down arseholes like you.”

Chuckling, Reggie moved away from the table. “Unlike the lovely townsfolk of this hellhole town, I want to understand you, Wynonna.” He wheeled a tray over to the table and delighted in the fear that shone in her eyes as she spotted his instruments, his many instruments that would cut and slice and break bone. “Don’t you want to be understood?”

“I want to be on a beach in Hawaii.”

He smiled tight-lipped at her. “Always with the jokes. You use humour as a form of self-defence.” He picked up a scalpel. “I’ve been studying you for a long time, Wynonna. You are the most fascinating yet. So damaged, so chaotic, where you go destruction follows.” He put the scalpel down and picked up a marker pen. “Surgeons today like to draw a map on their patients for where they’re going to cut,” he said conversationally. “Did you know that back when surgery first became a thing, doctors didn’t bother, they just followed their instincts.”

“I thought doctors had to take an oath to do no harm?”

Reggie laughed then, a full blown belly laugh that freaked her out more than his smile. “Oh, Wynonna! You and I both know I’ve never really been a doctor.” He finished drawing on her and threw the marker back on the tray. “But, I did study surgery, and by study, I mean I love to cut open bodies. I like to see what makes people… people.”

“What’s your damage, Reggie? Is this because every woman you ever met rejected you?”

“Ah, rejection,” he chuckled. “Or is it my mummy issues? Mummy didn’t love me, or didn’t breastfeed me. Have you noticed psychiatrists always blame dear old mum? Do you think that’s why you’re so broken, Wynonna? Because mama Earp is in prison.” He hesitated, a thoughtful look on his face. “Tell me, Wynonna, does dear little Waverly know where her mother is?”

“You leave my sister out of this, dickhead!”

He clapped his hands in delight. “There! There is that fire I so admire.”

“Your info is bogus. She’s not in prison. She’s...” Wynonna trailed off because the truth wasn’t much better.

Laughing again, Reggie picked up his scalpel. “To answer your question, I love women. And women love a doctor. Women, all women, are a feast for the eyes, and every man has a favourite body part upon which to gaze. I’m not a bum man, or a boob or leg man. I love to look at your insides. And you, Wynonna, are going to be alive just long enough that you’ll be able to look inside of yourself too.” Scalpel ready, he leaned in and pressed the point to the skin below her collarbone.

“Wait!” And she had never been so relieved as she was when he did actually pause. “Before I die, can you tell me...” She tried desperately to think of something to ask.

“Tell you?”

Just past Reggie, Wynonna spotted moving shadows on the walls and hoped to God that it was the cavalry. “How many?” she asked loud enough for her potential saviours to hear her. “How many murders do you have under your belt?”

Reggie stood up straight, anger etched on his face. “Not murders,” he growled. “I am not a murderer! They were sinners and I set them free.”

“Right, right,” she placated. It was Dolls and John Henry. She wasn’t sure why the cowboy was there, but didn’t really care as long as they saved her perky behind. “So, how many?”

Dolls hesitated, wanting to hear how many victims there had been. From experience, he knew that once captured, killers often liked to play sick games, like hinting at potential victims, hinting about where victims were buried, never giving an honest answer to anything.

Smiling, Reggie bent close to Wynonna again. “Many. So many. I shall tell you all about them while I work and we shall see how many you learn of before you join them in the afterlife.” He lifted the scalpel.

“FREEZE!” Dolls shouted, gun aimed at Reggie. “Drop the scalpel.” He watched the man, gut instinct telling him the man wasn’t going to comply.

And true to form, he didn’t.

At Wynonna’s yelp of pain, Dolls aimed, fired, and watched as Reggie cried out and spun around, his hand a bloody mess.

“Took you long enough!” Wynonna tried to act tough, but her relief was palpable.

“You’re welcome, Earp.” Dolls was all business, eyes and gun still trained on Reggie. “You good?”

“Never better!”

Ducked low behind the table Wynonna lay on, Reggie laughed as he spotted a familiar figure. “Doc Holliday! I always hoped I’d have the pleasure of meeting you.”

“I cannot say the same,” Doc drawled.

“Dear Sally, do you remember her, Doc? Oh, how she cried out for you!”

“You shut your filthy mouth!” Doc growled, hands balling into fists.

With a grunt, Reggie shoved Wynonna’s table in the direction of the two men and made a run for it. Doc stopped Wynonna’s momentum, while Dolls hustled past. “Free the girl and get her out of here.”

“Free the girl! I’m not some damsel!” Wynonna protested, craning her neck in an effort to glare at the infuriating agent.

Doc watched the agent stealthily move in the direction Reggie had disappeared, before concerned blue eyes landed on Wynonna. “We meet again, Miss Earp.”

“Doc?”

“I am a qualified dentist and poker fiend.”

“Not a serial killer?”

He smiled kindly. “No, ma’am, not a killer. Though perhaps a thief of hearts.”

She rolled her eyes at him. “I almost got sliced and diced, I was drugged at least twice and I haven’t shaved my legs. Your sweet talk ain’t gonna work on me, pal.”

Chuckling lightly, Doc started untying the binds that held her in place. “May I suggest we forego a search for your clothes and get ourselves out of here?”

“Hell, no! That psycho’s on the loose and Dolls has no back-up. We’re his back-up.” Hands free, she sat up and reached down to untie her feet. “Do you have a weapon?”

“Plenty at my disposal,” Doc indicated the numerous surgical tools.

“Tool up and let’s go help.” Off the table, Wynonna wished she at least had her boots as the coolness of the ground greeted her, but one advantage of bare feet was the stealth factor. “We’re in some sort of tunnel system,” she said softly to Doc, who was just behind her.

“Your sister realised the fiend had brought you to this here series of tunnels, which were used during the prohibition to smuggle liquor across the border.”

“She did? How did she figure that out?”

“Agent Dolls had Deputy Haught’s clothing tested and the information discovered led your sister to her conclusion.” He smiled, impressed by the youngest Earp. “She is quite the intellect.”

Wynonna smiled proudly. “Yes, she is.” She stopped and half turned to look at Doc. “Wait, Nicole’s clothing? Is she…?”

“Alive. In hospital, but very much alive.”

“Thank God,” Wynonna sighed. “He told me she was dead. Had no idea how I was going to break that news to Waverly.” Turning to face the front, she continued onwards along the tunnel, no idea where she was going. Reaching a split, they looked left and right, getting no indication of which way to go.

“Do you want to split up?” Doc asked.

“Rule one-oh-one of horror films, never split up,” she sighed. “But, yeah. To be able to help Dolls, we first have to find him. I’ll go left.”

“I’ll go right.” He tipped his hat and started moving.

“Hey, Doc,” she called out softly. “Don’t die and maybe I’ll buy you a drink when we get out of here.”

He smiled back at her. “Much obliged.”

Watching him until he disappeared from sight, and not just because she appreciated his backside in the jeans he was wearing, Wynonna inhaled deeply and slowly exhaled, steeling herself for what she might be about to face. “You can do this. You are Wynonna Fucking Earp. Baddest bitch in town. And by bad I mean bad-ass.” Pep talk done, scalpel held out in front of her, she slowly made her way down the tunnel and found it opened up into the cask room she had been in before.

Using the casks as cover, she moved from one to the other, watching out for either Dolls or Reggie, or even Doc if the tunnels had reconnected somewhere. She couldn’t see too far in front of herself, the room spookily dim, so she wasn’t overly surprised when her bare foot hit something solid and made her stumble. She was surprised she didn’t swear out loud, showing great restraint just when no one was around to appreciate it.

Looking down, she tried to make out what it was lying prone on the floor. Stooping, her fingertips brushed over cotton, and as she prodded, she realised she was touching a solid calf muscle. “Dolls?” She crouched down and gave his shoulder a little shake. “No sleeping on the job, Dolls. Come on, get up.” He had a head wound and was out for the count, but as fas as she could tell, otherwise okay.

Spotting his pistol across the room nestled between two casks, she looked around for signs of Reggie before hustling over and reaching for the gun.

Which was when Reggie sprang up from his hiding place and jumped her.

With a shout of surprise, Wynonna hit the hard ground heavily with the weight of Reggie on top of her. Knowing now more than ever she needed the gun, she reached out as far as she could, her fingertips just brushing the pistol’s grip.

“While this has been fun, Wynonna, I think it’s time to bid adieu,” Reggie said, sitting up and reaching for the scalpel she had dropped during their fall.

Stretching a little more, Wynonna’s fingers curled around the pistol and took a firm grip of it. “Adieu, arsehole!” Turning onto her side as much as she could, she aimed at him and felt the thrill of delight when she saw surprise register on his face.

Reggie put his hands up in surrender. “You’re not going to kill me, Wynonna.”

“Wanna bet?”

“If you kill me you become me.”

She shook her head as he backed off, allowing her to turn fully. “Not true.”

“What happens when you kill me?”

“I get my best friend to order me too much takeaway and we crack open a bottle of the good whiskey and drink until empty.”

“No.” He smiled at her as he stood up. “Once I’m gone, you’ll have to deal with the puppet master.”

“What’s this, your imaginary friend?” As her confidence returned, so did her humour.

“Bobo Del Rey. He makes me look like a choir boy. Bobo’s reach extends far beyond Purgatory. He’s got friends in high places, good friends, bad friends,” Reggie smiled. “Spare me and I’ll tell you everything I know.”

She studied Reggie, the man who had taken many a life and ruined the lives of those left behind, the man who had been about to carve her open. Was he telling the truth about Bobo? He did know an awful lot about the people he killed, so why not about those alive? “What are you saying? Bobo, trailer park Bobo, is involved in… what?”

“Do we have a deal?” Reggie asked instead, subtly moving towards the scalpel.

“Hey, hey, hey! No moving around.”

“Wynonna?” Dolls groaned, slowly coming around, a hand going to his head.

Distracted by Dolls’s voice, blue eyes flicked his way, giving Reggie the time he needed to grab the scalpel. Noticing the movement, Wynonna pulled the trigger without thought as Reggie moved towards her, then again as he stumbled. Wide-eyed, she watched him fall to his knees, two blossoms of red spreading rapidly on his shirt, laughter spilling from his lips.

“Oh, Wynonna! You truly were a worthy adversary, not like the others at all.” He coughed up blood as he sat down heavily, knowing he wasn’t long for this world. “Oh, I wish I could stay!” he said wistfully, eyes on her. “Watch what’s coming next. You have no idea!”

“Yeah, well, whatever it is, I’ll deal.” She watched him take his last few breaths in this life, pistol still aimed at his chest just in case. She’d seen enough movies to know they were never really dead. And there was no way she was going to let him get the jump on her. Again.

“Wynonna?”

It was Doc’s panic-laced voice that finally made her turn away from Reggie’s body, blue eyes watching the cowboy approach.

“Are you all right?” he asked softly, not wanting to spook her while she still had the pistol.

“I have no idea.”

Slowly reaching out, he took the pistol from her. “I will tell them I killed him,” he offered.

“You don’t have to—”

“I know. I simply think I can stand up to their questioning right now, whilst you look like you need a hot bath and a good night’s sleep.”

She could have hugged him then, because that really was what she wanted more than anything. Instead, she shook her head. “It’s okay, Doc. Nedley knows me better than he knows you. But thank you for offering.”

Nodding, he moved towards Dolls to help the other man up. “May I suggest we get out of here. Agent Dolls has a head wound that needs tending and I have no doubt your sister is keen to see you alive and in one piece.”

She smiled at the thought of Waverly, of getting to see Waverly again. “You know the way out, right?” The way he blinked at her didn’t fill her with confidence.

*** * * * ***

Wandering around the tunnels hopelessly lost and struggling with the weight of an unsteady Dolls, the trio had eventually been rescued by Nedley, Deputy Inglis and a couple of Dolls’s colleagues, who had turned up too late to be of any real use. Dolls had been whisked off to the hospital in the back of an ambulance, while Nedley ordered Lonnie to drive Wynonna to the hospital and act as her shadow until she got checked over. Nedley knew her well enough to know she wouldn’t bother if left to her own devices.

As Lonnie drove into the hospital car park, Wynonna caught sight of her baby sister standing outside the front doors in the early morning light, either dancing nervously or shivering, she wasn’t sure which. As soon as the deputy stopped the car, Wynonna opened the rear door and slid out, finding herself with an armful of sobbing Waverly. “Hey, baby girl. Are you okay?”

“Am I okay?” Waverly asked incredulously. “You were nearly the victim of a serial killer and you’re asking me if I’m okay?”

Wynonna shrugged, like it was nothing. “I had him right where I wanted him.”

Waverly squeezed her sister tightly. “Are you okay? Really okay? Where are your clothes?”

Wynonna rolled her eyes. “They wouldn’t let me have my clothes, claimed they were evidence. I’m telling you, Waves, I better get my leather jacket back or there’s gonna be hell to pay. And my boots. I’ve worn in those boots, got ’em just right, don’t wanna have to start over.” She tugged at the sleeve of the coat she was wearing. “Saying that, this FBI coat is kinda cool.”

“You can’t pretend to work for the FBI, Wynonna, that’s illegal.”

“Really?”

Waverly nodded. She rubbed her sister’s back. “Come on, let’s get you checked out by a doctor. We should drop in and see Nicole as well. She’ll be so relieved to see you. She’s been beating herself up about you being taken.”

“I’ll be happy to see her, too,” Wynonna smiled, not prepared to tell Waverly why exactly. “But don’t tell her I said that. I don’t want my affection going to her head or anything.”

“Guess who works here?” Waverly asked as they entered the hospital arm in arm. “Shea. Nedley had to call her because she’s Nicole’s next of kin. So, she turned up and she was still as nice as ever, which is so annoying because—”

Wynonna let her baby sister ramble on and on, happy to hear her voice, happy to see her, happy to forget her ordeal with Reggie, if only for the time being.

As the sisters approached Nicole’s room, they could hear Nicole complaining loudly about wanting to go home.

Reaching the doorway, Wynonna felt a surge of relief sweep through her as she lay eyes on her best friend sitting up in bed, very much alive. “How’s she doing?” she asked loudly, instantly getting Nicole’s attention and giving the poor nurse some respite.

“Wynonna,” Nicole smiled in relief. “I’m so sorry.”

“For being wrong about Reggie? I called it, didn’t I? I told you he was shifty and you wouldn’t have it.”

“Doctor Reggie?” Nicole asked in confusion. “He’s the one who ambushed us?”

“You don’t remember?” Wynonna approached the bed and sat down in the empty chair next to it, pleased to be able to take a load off and relax.

“I woke up by the side of the road. Freezing cold and two paramedics next to me telling me I was going to be okay. There was no sign of you.”

“They had to resuscitate her,” Waverly put in, wrapping her arms around herself for comfort.

Blue eyes widened and flicked to her sister. “Resuscitate? Bastard.” Wynonna looked back to Nicole. “Also, not a doctor.”

“He wasn’t? How did he get a job at the morgue?”

“No idea.” Wynonna shifted in her seat, eyes shining with tears suddenly. “He was such a tool. He told me you were… that we had...” She puffed out her cheeks, trying to regain control of her emotions. “He told me we had been in an accident and that you hadn’t made it.”

Reaching out for the brunette’s hand, Nicole squeezed Wynonna’s fingers. “You’re not getting rid of me that easy, Earp.”

“Good, ’cause my baby sister kinda loves you and I’d hate to have to break in someone new,” Wynonna grinned.

“Wynonna!” Waverly scolded, seeing Nicole smiling.

“Friends for life, Haught-stuff, but seriously, I won the bet so you owe me food. Thai. Or Chinese. Hell, I’ll settle for tacos at this point.”

“In case you haven’t noticed, I’m laying in a hospital bed. Agent Dolls confiscated my clothes and sent them off for testing, and the hospital are refusing to release me because apparently I need to be under observation.” She eyeballed her friend. “Talking of clothes, Wynonna, where are yours?”

Settling more comfortably into her chair, Wynonna launched into an exaggerated version of what she had been through.

*** * * * ***

When Wynonna was taken elsewhere for a check-up, Waverly took the opportunity to climb up onto Nicole’s bed and snuggle against her side, a plethora of emotions overwhelming her as she breathed in the redhead’s familiar vanilla scent.

“I could have lost you,” she murmured, hand tightening around Nicole’s waist.

“I’m okay, Waves.”

“But it could have been different. You—”

“Hey.” Nicole lifted Waverly’s chin tenderly and looked into hazel eyes she adored. “It could have been, but it isn’t. I’m okay, Wynonna’s okay, and Reggie’s dead.”

Waverly settled back down, knowing Nicole was right, she should be grateful it had worked out how it had and not dwell on what could have been. “Did anyone tell you that Shea dropped in to see you?”

“She did?” Nicole frowned, not understanding why her ex would, until she remembered who her emergency contact was. “Oh. Yeah, I guess Nedley called her.”

“He did.”

“I’ll change it. Just as soon as I get back to work,” she promised, kissing the top of Waverly’s head. “If it’s all right, I’d like it to be you.”

“I’d like it to be me as well.” Waverly pressed a kiss against Nicole’s neck. “For the record, I don’t dislike Shea.”

“Okay.”

“She’s always been nice. And we talked, while you were blissfully unaware of how worried we all were. She told me about you needing surgery because of some rock climbing incident.”

Nicole chuckled. “Yeah. Totally ruined our honeymoon.”

“I had no idea you had ever been rock climbing or had surgery, and it made me realise how much of each other’s lives we’ve missed.”

“We’ll talk,” Nicole assured her. “Once the dust has settled and I’m allowed out of this damn hospital, we’ll go for a coffee and tell each other everything of importance.”

“And not important. I want to know everything, Nicole Haught.”

“Everything it is,” Nicole smiled, a warmth settling in her chest as she thought that maybe, maybe this time they were going to get it right. “Starting with me telling you I hate pickles.”

Waverly blinked, confused. “Pickles?”

“You keep putting them in my lunch, Waves, and I can’t stand them.”

“Why didn’t you say anything?” Waverly asked as she sat up and looked down at the reclining redhead.

“You went to all that effort to bring me a free lunch, I didn’t want to hurt your feelings.”

“You wouldn’t hurt my feelings over stupid pickles, Nicole. Though we do have an abundance at them at Shorty’s at the moment. Gus kinda over-ordered.” She winced. Picking up Nicole’s hand, she twined their fingers. “We’ve got to be better at communicating. If we’re going to make us work, we need to be open and honest.”

“Open and honest, I think I can do that,” Nicole smiled. “I can honestly say I really want to kiss you right now.”

Grinning, Waverly cupped Nicole’s cheek. “Cheesy.”

“But honest.” Tugging Waverly back down, she indulged in the softest of kisses.

“Nico!” Aurora squealed excitedly right into Champ’s ear as he carried her into the room. “Look, Daddy, it’s Nico.”

The two women sprang apart in surprise.

“I see that, princess,” Champ grunted, unhappy with finding his wife curled up with Nicole.

“What are you doing here, Champ?” Waverly asked as she hastily climbed off the bed, not wanting to give him any ammunition to use against her.

“Come to get you. Phones been ringing off the hook, people wanting to know shit I have no clue on.”

“So unplug it,” Waverly said simply. “And mind your language.”

He frowned at her, before his gaze flicked to their daughter. “Didn’t think of that.” He handed Aurora to her. “Anyway, you’ve been gone all night, Waverly. You said you were going into town with Nedley because she,” he pointed at Nicole, “was missing. Don’t look like she’s missing to me.”

“Nicole was missing. They found her at the side of the road half dead.”

“So, they found her and still you left me and Aurora at home to fend for ourselves.”

“You can cope for one night, Champ! Nicole needed me more.”

“Um, Waves,” Nicole interrupted, seeing a fight brewing. “Why don’t you and Champ go outside and… talk, while I look after Aurora for a couple of minutes.”

Having more than a few things to say to her soon-to-be-ex husband, Waverly settled Aurora on the bed next to Nicole. “Be careful of Nicole, honey. She doesn’t need you climbing all over her, okay?”

“Okay, Mama.” Aurora looked at Nicole in curiosity. “Do you have a boo-boo, Nico?”

Nicole smiled at the adorable three-year-old. “I do, but I’m okay, your mama’s been looking after me.” She ignored Champ’s scoff.

“She looks after me when I have a boo-boo,” Aurora confided.

“Yeah, she’s the best, isn’t she?” Brown eyes flicked up to meet Waverly’s gaze, the pair sharing a smile. “She told me you’re getting better at catching,” she said to Aurora as Waverly grabbed Champ’s arm and pulled him out of the room.

“Aunt Gus showed me how.”

Out in the corridor, Champ was pouting. “I saw all that, you know. So, you two are, like, together now, eh?”

“No, we’re—”

“That’s disgusting.” He leaned, invading her personal space, his breath hot on her face. “Disgusting!”

Wide-eyed, Waverly looked around to see who was nearby. She really didn’t want her dirty laundry airing in public. “Lower your voice, Champ.”

“She comes back to town and just swoops in to steal my girl.”

“I’m not your girl any more, Champ. I broke up with you, remember?”

“We’re taking a break.”

“No, we’re breaking up! Separating. Going down two different paths.” She wasn’t sure how to make it any clearer. “And when did you become a raging homophobe?”

“You think this is because she’s a girl? You’re my family, Waverly, you and Aurora. We’ve got history together, a life together. She doesn’t get to steal you away from me!”

“She’s not stealing us away,” Waverly said softly. “I told you, I love her, I always loved her. But our relationship won’t stop you from seeing Aurora. You will never stop being Aurora’s father, Champ.”

He waved a dismissive hand at her. “Whatever. I’m out of here. You tell that bitch I’m not going down without a fight.”

“Don’t do anything stupid, Champ!” She watched him retreating down the corridor, a sinking feeling in her belly. “Champ! Do you hear me?” Feeling like the world as she knew it was imploding, Waverly turned and walked back into Nicole’s room, pasting on a smile as two sets of eyes turned her way.

“Everything okay?” Nicole asked, as ever concerned for Waverly.

“Fine. Come on, Aurora, let’s go find your aunty Wynonna.”

“Hey, Waves.” Nicole wasn’t sure what had been said between Waverly and Champ, but was concerned that Waverly couldn’t seem to meet her gaze. “It’s gonna be okay.”

“Everything’s changing around me again and it’s all too fast, and nobody has bothered to ask me if I’m okay with it. Like,” she threw her hands in the air in pure frustration, “can everyone just stand still for one frickin’ minute and let me process! I need time to process!”

“Are you?” Nicole asked softly, fingers toying with the blanket covering her. “Okay with it?”

“Let’s not have this conversation now.” Moving to the bed, she scooped her daughter up, determined to leave, needing to process everything in her own time without puppy dog eyes staring at her wanting answers she didn’t have.

“I would never ask you to do anything you didn’t want to, Waverly.” Nicole sighed, weary all of a sudden. Tired of finding herself in a never-ending circle of uncertainty.

“Fine! Great! If you could pass that message on to everyone in town, that would be perfect!” Waverly marched to the door only to stop and turn back, not wanting the conversation to end like this. “Everything is a mess,” she breathed. “We need to work on being friends first.”

“You think we’re just friends? After everything we’ve shared, after everything we said not twenty minutes ago?”

Waverly sighed, just as weary as Nicole, and nodded.

“Sure, Waverly, whatever you want.”

Further conversation was put on hold as Wynonna appeared in the open doorway. Instantly sensing the tension in the room and confused by it, Wynonna looked from her sister to Nicole and back again, Aurora’s presence adding to her confusion. “What’s going on?”

“Aunty Nonna!”

“Hello, pumpkin. What are you doing here?”

“Are you done, Wynonna? Can we go home?” Waverly asked, desperate to flee.

Picking up on her sister’s unrest, Wynonna glanced at Nicole before nodding an answer. “Yeah, I’m done. Got the all-clear, which I could have told them without all the prodding and poking.” She shifted as Waverly breezed past her, then again looked at Nicole. “You okay?”

“Perfect.”

“I can stay.”

Nicole shook her head, just wanting to be alone to nurse her fractured heart. “No, I’m tired, I think I’ll just try and sleep.”

Knowing something had happened but not knowing the details, Wynonna couldn’t act, even if she was fairly certain it involved Champ. “I’ll come by tomorrow.”

“Don’t bother, I’m hoping they’ll discharge me in the morning.”

“I’ll swing by and give you a lift home.” Still hesitating, Wynonna had to concede defeat when Nicole said nothing more. “All right then. If you need anything just call me, okay?”

“Okay.”

It was only once Wynonna had walked out the door that Nicole allowed herself to cry.

*** * * * ***

Three days later and life in Purgatory was almost back to normal. Nicole and Agent Dolls were finally released from the hospital, statements had been given, the townsfolk reassured it was all over, and the murdered laid to rest.

Standing next to his car, impeccably dressed in a grey suit and polished black shoes, the only thing giving away anything had happened to Dolls was the stark white bandage around his head. Still, despite his wound, work was calling him away from the quirky town of Purgatory and it was time to go.

To see him off was the gruff Sheriff Nedley, the sweet as an angel Waverly Earp, and the conundrum that was Wynonna.

“If you could pass on my thanks to Doctor Holliday, I would appreciate it. Inform him that his debt with Whiskey Jim has been cleared as thanks for his help with our case.”

“I’ll tell him,” Waverly promised.

“Also tell him he is now under our observation,” Dolls finished bluntly. He looked directly at Wynonna. “For the record I don’t like him.”

“Why are you telling me?” she asked in confusion.

“He’s your friend.”

“Whoa, I wouldn’t say friend.”

“I would advise you to stay away from him, but I fear that may encourage you to seek him out. He’s a bad influence and will only lead you astray.”

“Maybe I want leading astray,” Wynonna flirted, hoping for a reaction from the unflappable Agent Dolls.

Dolls offered her his hand. “Miss Earp, I would say it was a pleasure working with you, but it really wasn’t.”

Wynonna smirked. “You should stick around, Barbie. I would totally grow on you.”

“No doubt,” he chuckled. “Or, I’d end up killing you.”

She wasn’t sure if he was joking or not. She nervously stuffed her hands in the back pockets of her jeans. “If you’re ever around these parts, look me up. I may be available for dinner.”

“If I’m ever in the area, I could probably swing by for a coffee.” They looked at each other for a long moment, a spark of something between them, before Nedley gruffly cleared his throat.

“Sorry you’re not taking the bastard in, Dolls. But, on the other hand, I’m glad he’s been dealt with once and for all.” He offered the agent his hand.

“Xavier. My name is Xavier.”

“Oh.” Nedley shifted his stance, not sure what to do with that information. “Probably best to stick to what we know.” He nodded.

Dolls nodded back and shook the sheriff’s hand. “If you ever need a hand with a case, Sheriff, feel free to call me.”

“And have you secretive agency types stick your noses in? No chance.”

Dolls smiled as he released Nedley’s hand. He really did like the older man. Not that he would ever tell him that. “Tell Officer Haught it was a pleasure working with her. You were right, she’s a good cop.” Climbing into the SUV, he started the car then rolled down the window to look at Wynonna. “Stay out of trouble, Earp.”

Wynonna elbowed Waverly. “He’s talking to you.”

“Is not.”

Wynonna grinned at Dolls. “No promises.”

“You’re doing good work here, Wynonna. Haught was right, you’ve changed.” With one last wave, he drove off.

“Do you think he’ll ever be back?” Wynonna asked no one in particular.

“Probably,” Nedley answered. “Feds have a habit of sticking their noses where they’re not wanted, and if Bobo is involved in something major, I have a feeling Dolls will want a piece of him.” Laying a hand on her shoulder, he smiled proudly. “You’ve done good, Wynonna. I think I’ll keep you on.” The smile dropped. “Despite your habit of stealing lunches.”

“Not me, totally Nicole.”

Laughing, he shook his head at her. “Go home. Rest up over the weekend and start fresh on Monday.” With a wave to both sisters, he walked back inside the station.

Looping her arm through Wynonna’s, Waverly squeezed lightly as they started walking in the direction of Shorty’s Saloon. “I’m proud of you, you know?”

“What for?”

“For sticking around, for taking the job, for being brave.”

Wynonna scoffed, uncomfortable with the praise, but also loving it. “I haven’t really done anything.”

“You heard Dolls and Nedley, they’ve both seen the good you’re doing. And I know for a fact Nicole’s super proud of you.”

“Talking of my favourite redhead, what’s going on with you two?”

The smile slipped from Waverly’s face. “Nothing’s going on, what do you mean?”

“That’s what I mean!” Wynonna exclaimed in frustration. “Why is nothing going on? You’ve seen sense and dropped the chump, she’s left Shea—”

“Technically Shea left her.”

“So, what’s the hold up?”

Waverly took a deep breath, staring down at her feet as she tried to sort out her thoughts. “It’s complicated, Wynonna.”

“It’s really not, Waverly. You love each other.”

“There’s a lot to sort out.”

“Kiss the girl, Waverly!” Wynonna shook her head. “I love you two knuckleheads, but you both drive me crazy. Whatever you think stands between you, remind yourself that you nearly lost her to that jackass Reggie.”

“But Champ—”

Wynonna waved a dismissive hand. “Let him say shit, let him throw a tantrum, I’ve got your back, baby girl. And I’ve got Nicole’s back. My foot is just itching to kick him up the backside and I’d bet good money that Mercedes and Chrissy would help me. Gus, too.” Unwrapping her sister’s arm from around her own, she smiled adoringly as she turned to face Waverly and leaned in to kiss her forehead. “Go get your girl, Waves. Before anything else happens to make you two drift apart.”

Waverly knew it wasn’t going to be that simple. Nothing in her life ever was. But in that moment she believed in Wynonna’s version of things. Smiling big and bright, she hugged her sister tightly, then hurried off.

Left alone on the sidewalk, Wynonna suddenly realised she had absolutely nothing to do and no one to do it with. “Good going, Wynonna, now you can’t go and bug your best friend.” She contemplated her options for all of twenty seconds. “Shorty’s it is.”

*** * * * ***

Full of nervous energy, determination and fear, Waverly knocked on the door in front of her and waited for the occupant to respond. She knew she should have probably called first but she hadn’t wanted to be deterred, and some things were best said face-to-face.

Pulling open the front door, Nicole blinked as she lay eyes on the sweetest of visions. “Waverly. Hi.”

“Hey. Can I come in?” Stepping inside, Waverly dropped her handbag on the sofa and started unzipping her jacket, while Nicole headed for the kitchen.

“What brings you by?” Nicole asked lightly, trying to keep it friendly. “Not just to check-up on me, right? I’ve had Nedley hovering all morning. Though, whether that was for my benefit or just to see if I was taking care of Calamity properly, I’m not sure!” Chuckling, she turned around and found her lips covered by the soft ones of Waverly. Definitely not the most unpleasant thing in the world, even if it did confuse the hell out of her.

It was when her back hit the sofa, the weight of Waverly on top of her, that she regained her senses. “Wait.” She eased the other woman back so she could look into hazel eyes that always expressed so much. “I’m not complaining, but… what happened to us being friends and taking things slow?”

“I’m sick and tired of waiting,” Waverly blurted out. “Waiting for the right time to be with you, to tell you I love you, to say fuck you Purgatory, this is me and this is who I love.” Sinking down into Nicole again, she delighted in kissing the redhead’s lips, her jaw, the elegant column of her neck. “I could have lost you for good, Nicole, just when I was sorting my shit out, just when everything was lining up for us to finally be together.”

“Hey,” Nicole said softly, rubbing Waverly’s back tenderly. She was smiling, she couldn’t stop smiling because she got the feeling things were going to work out this time. “I’m okay, baby. I’m right here. And as long as you want me, I’ll be by your side.” She pressed a kiss against Waverly’s head. “And I love you, too. For the record.”

Waverly puffed out a breath. “It’s not going to be easy, you know that, right?”

“Nothing worthwhile ever is.”

“So, you want this? You want me?”

“Always,” she breathed, before indulging in a long, leisurely kiss. Her body had come alive, a warmth spreading throughout from the tips of her ears all the way down to her toes, a persistent throb starting up between her legs like a heartbeat all of its own. “Bedroom?”

“Here,” Waverly murmured, not prepared to move, not until later. The bedroom could come later. She needed Nicole now, after so many years of only having the memory of her, she needed the real thing. Straddling Nicole’s hips, she looked down into brown eyes as her hands went to her blouse, liking that she had the redhead’s undivided attention as she started undoing the buttons. “Nicole...”

With a soft smile, Nicole ran her hands up Waverly’s thighs. “I’ve got you, Waves.”

Blouse removed, she undid her bra, memories of their teenage trysts coming back to her. She felt strong hands drawing her in, pulling her closer, fingertips dancing over her back, and she went willingly, scooting this way and that until every inch of her touched Nicole. A breath away from the lips she craved, Waverly studied Nicole, as she had always done when they were this close together, this intimate. “What are you thinking?”

“I’ve come home,” Nicole breathed softly, reaching up to cup Waverly’s cheek, her smile bringing out her dimples.

And suddenly Waverly felt self-conscious. She wasn’t that teenage girl any more. She had been pregnant, had given birth, what if Nicole didn’t like the changes to her body? What if she had forgotten how to do this after so long with Champ? “I… I’m not that girl any more.”

“I know. You’re better.”

It was the perfect thing to say and as love and adoration swept through her, Waverly claimed the soft lips she had missed for far too long. “Make love to me,” she murmured. “Make me yours again.”

They ended up on the floor in a tangle of limbs as they fought to remove their clothing. Nicole wanted to take her time, she wanted foreplay and teasing light touches, but it had been too long, too many years apart and like a woman lost in the desert without water, she had a need that couldn’t wait. “Are you sure you don’t want to go upstairs?”

“Later.”

Leaving Waverly’s lips, Nicole kissed her way down the beautiful lithe body, stopping at a breast and taking a rigid nipple into the heated cavern of her mouth.

With a gasp and a deep moan of want, Waverly’s body arched up into Nicole’s, her hands grabbing at Nicole’s head, fingers burying themselves into silky red locks. Her entire body started to move as her hips tried to find the delicious contact she so desperately needed.

Nicole moved slowly, tortuously slowly, down Waverly’s body, leaving hot kisses on her ribs, her belly, her hand not idle as she caressed heated skin. Down, further and further down, until she was settled between spread legs.

Waverly almost came the instant she felt Nicole’s tongue pressed intimately against her. She felt alive for the first time in years, every inch of her awake to sensation, the world a little brighter, colours a little more vivid. Warm hands caressed her thighs, while that talented tongue swiped and swirled, and her own hips rocked up to meet each movement. “Nicole! Oh, Nicole! I need...”

Nicole knew what Waverly needed but was no way inclined to give it to her right then. She finally had everything she had always wanted right here laying before her, a gorgeous vision as her chest heaved for breath, her legs spread and hips rocking, small desperate moans slipping past kiss-swollen lips. Nicole forced herself to move slowly, deliberately, her tongue caressing soft folds, her hands tracing familiar curves, delighting in each moan and gasp that spilt from her lover’s parted lips.

Waverly groaned loudly as Nicole’s tongue plunged deep within her depths, hazel eyes rolling closed from the sensation of much missed pleasure. Her fingers laced through red locks and pulled, pulling Nicole closer still, as close as she could possibly get, the rocking of her hips matching the swirling motion of Nicole’s talented tongue. She was hurtling towards the edge of oblivion, her body quivering as like a wave in the ocean the intensity built and built and built, until finally, blissfully, it came crashing to shore and she cried out in exhilaration as she shattered into a million pieces.

While Waverly was lost in bliss, Nicole smiled, satisfied, as she kissed her way back up her lover’s body, by no means done with her yet. They had lost so much time together, she was damn sure she wasn’t going to let Waverly go until she’d had her fill.

Floating back to the present, Waverly moaned happily at the euphoria she felt. Head turning so she could look into the eyes she loved, she rubbed her foot up a strong calf. “It has been so long since I’ve felt like this,” she murmured.

“Naked on the floor?”

“No,” Waverly chuckled. “Well, yes, but you know what I mean.”

“I want to make you feel like this for the rest of our lives.”

“Hmm, that sounds nice,” Waverly smiled, kissing Nicole’s shoulder. “But we have a lot to deal with first, before we can seriously think about a future.”

“Tomorrow.” Nicole rested her weight on her left arm as she leaned in to claim Waverly’s lips again, her right hand sliding swiftly down the younger woman’s body. “How about today, we retreat to my bedroom and… get lost in each other?”

“I like that plan,” Waverly grinned. “And you know me, I’m a planner.” Lightly pushing Nicole away from her, she got up, revelling in the hungry look she got from the redhead as she stood in all her naked glory. “Race you.”

And with a giggle, she was off.

**End.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I'm toying with the idea of doing a sequel. Like, will Champ get gored by a bull? Will Dolls come back? Who was his team? And can our two lovebirds live happily ever after with two ex-spouses, an interrupting Wynonna, and a moody 3 year-old to deal with. Would love to hear your thoughts....


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